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| Undermining SC's authority, FD extends transportation permission for Khair | | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 5: Undermining the authority of Supreme Court, the state Forest department has extended transportation permission for Khair (Acacea Catechu), violating the Management Plan for Khair growing. The Chief Conservator of Forest Jammu on 1st of April issued an order which reads, "....The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest J&K has agreed to extend one month time for transportation of Khair wood upto ending April 2019, to complete the process as devised in SRO-111 of 2016 and the Management Plan for Khair growing in non forest land".
The Forest department has already violated the Management Plan for Khair growing on various accounts and made changes in the Management plan without seeking mandatory permission of the Supreme Court. The three page order issued by Forest department with the publication of Management Plan reads, "No modification in the notified, "The Jammu and Kashmir Non-Forest Land Khair trees (Management Plan) Rules 2012 and/or the Management Plan for the Khair Growing in the Non-Forest Lands in J&K state and/or in notified Form "A" will be made without obtaining the prior permission from Hon'ble Court".
In the section, "Time frame for different operations" of the Management Plan for Jammu, the felling and conversion of trees is confined to November to December but Forest department had given felling permission in the month of February, which was in violation of the Plan.
The Transportation of felled trees is to be restricted for two months January and February but the department has given permission in March and even extended it till ending April 2019.
While giving the extension, the Chief Conservator of Forest took refugee of Panchayat elections which was also in violation of Management Plan, which mandated for change in time frame only in case of Natural calamity. "How Panchayat elections can fall under category of Natural calamity. It was only done to give benefit to some outside industrialists, who have been greasing palms of senior officers", a farmer said.
Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu, Sameer Bharti said that it was not violation of Management Plan and the order of April 1 was issued after seeking permission from Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Suresh Chug didn't pick up his phone for comments. |
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