Assam: Environment ministry issues notice to ex-PCCF MK Yadava over diversion of Geleky forest land
Guwahati: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued a show cause notice to Assam Special Chief Secretary (Forest) M.K.Yadava for allegedly diverting forest land without necessary clearance to build a commando battalion camp at Geleky.
Sources said the Environment ministry’s regional office in Shillong sent the notice to IFS officer MK Yadava on September 18 under Section 3 A of the Forest Conservation Amendment Act 2023.
According to Section 3A of the Forest Conservation Act, violating or abetting the violation of Section 2 is punishable by up to 15 days of simple imprisonment.
MK Yadava allegedly illegally diverted 28 hectares forest land for the construction of a Commando Battalion camp inside Geleky Reserved Forest in Sivasagar district along Assam-Nagaland border.
According to sources, a high-level team from the Ministry of Environment conducted a site inspection at Geleky Reserve Forest on Friday (September 27, 2024), to assess a violation of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA).
The inspection was ordered by the Eastern Bench, Kolkata of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The team, led by Anjan Mohanty, Additional Director General (Forest Conservation), MoEF&CC, included the Additional Secretary, MoEF&CC, the DIG Regional Office, MoEF&CC, Rajendra Garawad, the CCF-Forest Conservation, Assam, and Sayambrita Dutta Madhab, DFO-Sivasagar.
The site inspection was conducted to gather evidence and prepare a detailed Site Inspection Report (SIR) to be submitted to the NGT.
The NGT is scheduled to hear the matter on October 4, 2024.
In May this year, the NGT formed a committee comprising MoEF&CC officials to investigate the illegal diversion of forest land at Geleky.
The development came after Environmental activist Rohit Choudhury filed a petition with the NGT alleging that the Assam Forest Department, under the leadership of the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M.K. Yadava, cleared 28 hectares of reserve forest land at Geleky without following proper procedure.
Choudhury alleged that MK Yadava misused his authority to grant permission for the project without obtaining approval from MoEF&CC, a violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Notably, New Delhi Bench of the NGT is already investigating a similar case against Yadava over alleged illegal clearance of forest land inside Inner Line Reserve Forest in Assam's Hailakandi district .