Action will be initiated against top Assam forest officer for violations, Centre tells NGT

The ministry’s affidavit was filed successful a lawsuit being heard by the NGT’s eastbound seat connected the operation of a commando campy connected 28 hectares of reserved wood onshore successful the Geleky wood successful Assam’s Sivasagar district. The affidavit was filed aft the bench, successful August, directed the ministry to bespeak arsenic to what enactment was taken against Assam’s elder wood serviceman M K Yadava for diversion of wood onshore successful usurpation of wood conservation law.

“It is submitted that said SIR (site inspection report) has been examined successful the answering ministry and prima facie it has been observed that the non-forestry activities person been allowed without anterior support of the Central Government connected the wood onshore successful question which is successful contravention of the statutory provisions rules of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980,” the ministry’s affidavit stated.

It added, “That taking into relationship the tract inspection study (SIR), the answering Ministry vide missive dated 28.08.2024 requested its determination office, Shillong to initiate enactment successful the instant substance arsenic prescribed nether conception 3A and 3B of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, arsenic appropriate. Moreover, the answering Ministry vide missive dated 28.08.2024 besides requested the authorities authorities to halt and discontinue immoderate benignant of activities forthwith successful the wood country successful question.”

The ministry based its conclusions connected a tract inspection carried retired successful August by its determination bureau successful Shillong. According to the tract inspection report, large-scale operation for the campy was underway successful afloat plaything and it was imperishable successful nature. The operation enactment had nary resemblance to activities allowed for wood extortion nether the Adhiniyam, the inspection study stated.

The NGT’s eastbound seat had besides constituted a committee of elder situation ministry officials to probe the matter. The ministry said successful its affidavit that the committee had visited the commando campsite connected September 27 and sought clip till the extremity of October to taxable its report.

In August, the Assam authorities had submitted to NGT successful an affidavit that the battalion campy operation was being done to unafraid the forests successful Geleky from encroachers and frankincense it was for wood conservation and management. The Assam authorities has besides sought an ex station facto clearance from the situation ministry, however, it has not been granted yet arsenic the ministry is inactive examining the issue.

The NGT did not judge the authorities government’s submissions successful the past proceeding connected August 9 and had noted successful its order, “…we are of the presumption that it is not for the PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forest) Assam to instrumentality a determination arsenic to whether the beardown constructions for 800 unit with arms, ammunitions and blase weapons would interaction wood conservation oregon not since the determination successful specified a lawsuit has to beryllium taken by the Central Government successful presumption of the mandatory statutory request of Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.”