E-Paper
‘Illegal removal’ of trees by contractor in Majri block: Look into ‘anomalies’ in export permit, directs HC
The committee will also examine as to why there was no “export permit” in favour of the accused when he was granted permit for removal
The high court has directed the principal chief conservator of forests, Punjab, to get a thorough probe conducted by a committee, comprising three senior ranking officers, into a case of export permit obtained by a forest contractor booked for illegal removal of trees by police in April.
The high court said that a committee shall examine the procedure adopted in the case in hand for extending time-limit and shall report as to whether the same was in accordance with rules and settled procedure.
The committee will also examine as to why there was no “export permit” in favour of the accused when he was granted permit for removal. The department has been given a time of four weeks and the report is to be submitted to chief conservator of forests, who will further take action as warranted, the high court said.
The directions were issued on the bail pleas of two accused, Bhupal Sharma and Kapil Sharma, who were booked on the complaint of the forest department, registered at the police station in Majri block, Mohali, for illegal removal of trees in Mirzapur village.
The forest department had claimed that the high court had stayed the cutting and lifting of khair wood in 16,400 bighas 18 biswas in Mirzapur, but they had removed 375 logs loaded in seven trolleys and one pick-up truck on April 4 night without seeking approval from the forest department.
On the other hand, the accused had pleaded that forest department officials were demanding illegal gratification and that they had valid permits.
The court found that the initial permit was issued on January 18, valid up to January 26, for removal of 933 trees and an export permit was also issued. Another permit was issued on January 30 to cut 964 trees and to stack the same at the depot by March 15, the period later extended upto March 31. However, no export permit was ever issued in this case, as per the department.
The court found that even as the initial permit was only for removal of trees upto March 15, the department processed his application for “export permit” and allowed time limit of the same up to March 31. The court further observed that it appeared that his application had been processed in a “cavalier manner”.
While an extension of time-limit of the so-called “export permit” was accorded, nobody seemed to have verified as to whether any such permit had ever been issued, the court added.
