Chandigarh, March 6: State’s Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Hills, Harsh Kumar in his reply to the National Green Tribunal said the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) allowed felling of nearly 20,000 trees along the Bist Doab canal by showing the forest area as non-forest.
“Despite stating that the trees were being felled from the non-forest area, the Punjab State Forest Development Corporation (PSFDC) was allowed to cut the trees. While auctioning the trees, 25 per cent of the value of the trees was reduced,” Kumar has stated in his affidavit.
It has also been pointed out that the VB has already initiated a preliminary investigation in the case.
Questioning the prudence of senior officers in extending the applicability of the PLPA notification – that ended last month – the CCF (Hills) has further said the Forest Department has failed to mention the ban on the construction of buildings on the land that was re-notified last month under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).
Source Tribune India
