Computer Baba takes charge of Narmada River Trust, wants a helicopter

Bhopal, June 05: Namdas Tyagi, popularly known as Computer Baba, on Tuesday, took charge as the chairman of 'Narmada, Kshipra and Mandakini River Trust' under the Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday.

Soon after taking charge, Computer Baba issued a toll-free number on which people can complain about illegal sand mining.

"Now that I have been entrusted the headship of the trust, I want a helicopter as soon as possible for conducting an aerial survey of the Narmada River to ascertain the real state of the river considered the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. The helicopter will enable me to also ascertain the state of trees planted on the riverbank during the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government as well as the actual truth about the rampant sand mining in the river," he said.

The same Hindu seer was granted minister of state status by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government in MP, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

In April 2018, Computer Baba cancelled a planned stir around Narmada conservation after he was granted MoS status. However, he resigned months later and even campaigned against the BJP in the run-up to the state assembly elections.

In a March 8 order - just days before the Model Code of Conduct kicked in - the Kamal Nath government announced Computer Baba's trust chairmanship.

He had said that his priority will be to stop illegal sand mining around the Narmada. "I quit because the previous government did nothing to stop illegal mining. The new government has entrusted me to stop the illegal practice so I have accepted it."

Last year, the Congress had strongly opposed the BJP government's decision to grant Computer Baba and other Hindu spiritual leaders MoS status.