Hooghly, 05 June (H.S.): West Bengal Minister of State Bhaskar Bhattacharya on Friday combined an environmental outreach programme with a personal reaffirmation of his connection to the legal fraternity, planting saplings under the state's Tree in Mother's Name campaign before later walking to the Serampore Sub-Divisional Court to meet law clerks and advocates.
The minister formally launched the plantation drive near the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer in Serampore. As part of the programme, he distributed saplings among school students and members of voluntary organisations, urging citizens to actively participate in environmental conservation. He later planted another sapling within the Serampore Police Station premises.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Bhattacharya said that increasing green cover and protecting the environment require collective public participation.
In the evening, the minister drew attention when he walked from his residence to the Serampore Sub-Divisional Court instead of using an official vehicle. There, he interacted with law clerks and members of the legal community, many of whom have known him since his days as a practising advocate.
Bhattacharya said that while his position as a minister requires him to follow government protocol, he remains determined to stay connected to the people and institutions that shaped his public life.
Now that I am a minister, I have to follow official protocol. But if I become detached from my roots, I will lose my identity. The court is a place closely associated with my journey, and the people here are my friends, he said.
Explaining his decision to walk to the court, the minister noted that it is located close to his residence. Since it is nearby, I came on foot. For longer distances, I will naturally use a vehicle, he added.
When asked about his legal practice after assuming ministerial responsibilities, Bhattacharya replied with a smile that his practice would continue through his junior colleagues.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
