Centre seeks action over illegal use of 44 hectares in Assam forests

Guwahati, July 4: A letter from the Union Forest Ministry seeking action against the then Assam Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) has blown the lid off the illegalities carried out in Geleky Reserve Forest and Hailakandi’s Innerline Reserve Forest where “large scale” constructions were being carried out for housing police battalions in gross violations of law.

In an affidavit filed before the NGT, the then PCCF and HoFF had stated that there was “no illegal diversion of 44 hectares of forest land at Inner Line Reserve Forest and the land will be used for the purpose of setting up tents for commando battalion.”

However, an inspection by a team from the Regional Office of MoEF&CC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) told a different story. Large scale construction was going in full swing with around 500 workers and vehicles in a built-up area of 11.5 hectares and plinth areas close to 30,000 sq meters.

“The area does not appear to have much resemblance to any of the activities specified in explanation (b) of Section 2 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. During the time of inspection, about 50 per cent of the work was found to be completed - without any prior permission from the Central government,” the Ministry’s letter to the present State Forest Department head said.

According to documents accessed through an RTI by conservationist Rohit Choudhury, the Ministry made it clear that the then PCCF and HoFF, M K Yadava, had no authority to grant permission to clear forest land for non-forest use without Central government permission. Yadava was issued a showcause notice, but his response was deemed unsatisfactory.

A site inspection at Geleky Reserve Forest also found that 80 per cent of the construction work had been completed – again without any Central government approval.

The State government had argued that the activities were being done for the protection and conservation of forest, but the Union Ministry said that plea was not legally tenable.

The activities in both the reserve forests have been found gross violation of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam and the Rules, guidelines and notifications framed thereunder and it is also against the legal principles framed by courts and tribunals.

The Ministry has directed the DFOs concerned to take legal action against the “offender” and furnish an action taken report within 45 days. The State government has also been directed to periodically submit action-taken reports every month.