Telangana Submits Report on Tree Cutting Controversy to Supreme Court Panel
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The Telangana government submitted a report to the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee regarding allegations of illegal tree cutting in Kancha Gachibowli. The committee is conducting inspections and meetings with various stakeholders, including student groups and political leaders, to assess the situation before submitting its findings.
Key Takeaways
- Telangana government submitted a report to the Supreme Court panel.
- Inspection of 400-acre land at Kancha Gachibowli initiated.
- Concerns raised over tree cutting against environmental norms.
- Meetings held with student groups, BRS and BJP leaders.
- CEC to report back to Supreme Court by April 16.
Hyderabad, April 10 (NationPress) The Telangana government on Thursday submitted its report to the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which initiated its inspection of a 400-acre land at Kancha Gachibowli near Hyderabad Central University (HCU) following claims that the authorities engaged in tree cutting contrary to environmental regulations.
After assessing the land, the four-member CEC, led by Siddhant Das, convened a meeting with state officials.
Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) MD Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Director General of Police Jitender, and senior officials from the Law, Revenue, and Forest departments participated in the meeting.
The state officials provided a report containing all records related to the land and updated the panel on recent developments.
The panel also held separate discussions with representatives of student groups, Hyderabad Central University authorities, and leaders from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Student groups, which had protested against the tree cutting on the land, presented their concerns to the panel members CP Goyal, Sunil Limaye, and JR Bhatt.
After the discussions with student organizations at MCRHRDI, the CEC met with BRS leaders at a hotel. The leaders, led by former minister T. Harish Rao, submitted their report to the panel.
The governing council of HCU explained its position regarding the land and provided comprehensive details.
In a separate meeting, BJP MPs informed the panel about the issues arising from the tree cutting.
The CEC is set to consult with NGOs and other stakeholders on Friday and will present its report to the Supreme Court on April 16.
Previously, senior officials accompanied the committee members during their field visit.
Extensive security measures were established on the HCU campus and surrounding land due to recent student protests regarding the tree clearing by TGIIC.
TGIIC has placed signs at the 400-acre site indicating that the land is owned by the Telangana government.
The CEC's visit is at the behest of the Supreme Court, which has halted tree cutting and other activities by TGIIC.
On April 3, the apex court expressed serious concern over the alleged destruction of extensive green cover by TGIIC in breach of environmental standards.
A bench comprising Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice A. G. Masih queried the Telangana Chief Secretary regarding the urgency of commencing development activities, including tree clearing.
The apex court's remarks followed a visit by the Registrar of the Telangana High Court, who submitted a report on the same day.
The registrar noted that approximately 100 acres of land had been cleared. The bench indicated that this is a serious issue and sought to determine whether the authorities had obtained the necessary permissions.
The court noted that even if the land is not classified as forest, the CEC's approval is required for tree cutting. The CEC was instructed to visit the site and provide a report by April 16.
The apex court also directed the state government to file an affidavit and scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 16.
The court reviewed the situation after K. Parmeshwar, a senior advocate and amicus curiae in forest cases, made an oral mention of the tree cutting.
The state government has already issued an order allocating the land to TGIIC for development and auctioning for the establishment of IT parks. The government asserts that there is no forest on the land.
