DF Govt does it again: Issues ‘order’ on forest clearance after five months

 

* This time, the said order informs the Water Resources Department about diversion of 998.10 hectares of forest land for Lower Penganga project, five months after receiving MoEF clearance

Staff Reporter
Democratic Front (DF) Government appears to be hell-bent on proving itself as a ‘decision delaying’ entity. A couple of days after issuing an ‘order’ regarding four-month old clearance for diversion of forest land in Vidarbha, DF Government has issued a similar ‘order’ after a delay of five months since receiving clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
A couple of days ago, DF Government had issued an ‘order’ about diversion of 2.0780 hectares of zudpi forest land for construction, strengthening and widening of National Highway-69 stretch between KM-3 and KM-59.300 on Nagpur-Saoner road. The fact was that MoEF had granted approval to diversion of said forest land in February 2014 itself and the officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had started the work on it already. Refusing to learn from past mistakes, Revenue and Forest Department has issued a similar ‘order’ conveying MoEF clearance to diversion of 998.10 hectares of forest land for Lower Penganga project in Yavatmal district after a delay of five months since receiving the clearance.
The ‘Government Order’ dated June 21, 2014, states it clearly that the MoEF ‘accorded final approval’ to diversion of 998.10 hectares of forest land in Yavatmal, Nanded, and Chandrapur districts to Executive Engineer, Lower Penganga Project Division vide a letter dated January 29, 2014. It leaves one wondering as to what compelled the DF Government to keep the MoEF clearance letter with it and not convey the same to Water Resources Department (WRD).
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has the portfolio of Water Resources, has been accusing its ruling ally Congress of ‘slow decision making’. NCP leaders have been targetting Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for allegedly ‘not expediting’ various proposals and files.
The original proposal was for diversion of 1,089.06 hectares of zudpi forest land spread over three districts -- Yavatmal and Chandrapur in Vidarbha, and Nanded in Marathwada. The forest in Yavatmal district includes that near the villages Jalandri, Ayata, Palodi, Zapalwadi, Warud, Datodi, Ranidhanora, Anjankhed, Kawtha (Bazar), Koli (Bujruk), Kapsi, Koli (Khurd), Manusadari, Patapangara, Bilayata, Kurli, Wagartakali, Arli, Karegaon, Karegaon (Bundle), Hiwari, Khairy (Ijara), Khairgaon, Kawathe, Junoni, Pokharni, Kamalwelli, Aamb, Digras, Patan, Rampeth, Yeoti, Ardhavan, Sawali, Hirapur, Govindpur, Mathani, and Sunna. Nanded district has only one such village -- Gokulnagar. Four villages are in Chandrapur district namely Siddheshwar, Berdi, Kelzar, and Chichala.
Vide the ‘order’ issued on Saturday, Revenue and Forest Department has asked the Executive Engineer of Lower Penganga Project Division at Yavatmal, to publish the entire order of forest clearances granted in verbatim along with details of survey numbers, gut numbers, area, legal status etc, along with the conditions and safeguards imposed by the Central Government while granting forest clearances in newspapers. 

Published on 22-06-14

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