The illegal felling of trees and illegal operation of Sawmills in Meghalaya has assumed such wide and significant proportion that the said illegal operation of saw mills and also illegal felling of trees has resulted in severe public outcry in the State. The common conscious citizens of the country have reasons to be anxious in the face of gross mismanagement of the entire forest cover and resources of the State. The entire episode has now attained higher proportions in view of some recent developments which prima facie reveal the intention of the authorities manning the affairs of the State to help in achievement of undue gains to a few individuals at the cost of the Environment, depleting the Forest resources and Public Interest, and environmental safety.
A PIL was filed by Advocate Nayanjyoti Medhi on behalf of the Garo Students Union through the Khasi Hills Zone President Sanjeeb A Sangma and General Secretary Alex R Marak praying for urgent judicial intervention of the Gauhati High Court into the illegal operation of sawmills and also illegal felling of trees in the State of Meghalaya, more particularly in the Garo Hills region and the subsequent inaction by the department of forest and other authorities in the State of Meghalaya to ensure strict compliance of the Hon'ble Apex Court's orders passed in W.P 202 of 1995 [T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad versus Union of India]. It was prayed on behalf of the Garo Students Union that if Gauhati High Court does not urgently interfere to close down the illegal saw mills operating in the State of Meghalaya and monitor the entire conservation of natural forests, protection, forest rehabilitation, regeneration, afforestation, reforestation and new plantations, with a view to maintaining or restoring the ecological balance, the State will soon have depleted the entire forest cover leading to environmental imbalances of catastrophic proportions. The Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Shri Jasti Chelameshwar and Justice Hrishikesh Roy has admitted the petition and issued notice to the Government of Meghalaya which was accepted by Government Advocate of Meghalaya Sri Ratul Goswami.
Further details may be had from Sanjeeb A Sangma at +91 98630 22587 or +91 94363 13284
PermalinkSubmitted by MD AFTAR HUSSAI... on Sat, 26/01/2008 - 17:10
Sir,
It is very nice that our people is now environment conscious. Sir in my locality (Doboka, Nagaon, Assam) there also many illegal saw mills running. But the Ranger takes monthly ransom money from the owner and they are now destroying our valuable forest.
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Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is likely to visit Kokrajhar and Chirang on Monday to take stock of the situation in the riot hit districts. During the hurricane tour, the Union home minister is be apprised of the prevailing law and order situation by meet top civil and police officers. Chidambaram is likely to call on the leaders of both the groups to end the conflict. According to unconfirmed sources, he is likely to visit one or two relief camps set up for those affected people.
There is some let-up in Kokrajhar and Chirang. But the situation is tense. There is no report of any fresh incident of violence during the last 7 hours. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that situation was back to normal barring a few stray incident. Four bodies were recovered in Gossaigaon on Friday taking the death toll to 58.
BJP on Friday blamed it all on Dispur for not taking timely action to rein in the ethnic violence in Assam. BJP activists staged a protest rally in New Delhi on Friday condemning the clash that took a heavy toll in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. The protestors shouted slogans alleging the utter inefficiency of the state government.
Party leader Vijay Goel accused state government of a delayed action in the deployment of army in the disturbed areas. He further held the illegal migrants responsible for the clash.
The weeklong ethnic clash seems to have kept the state’s political scene on the boil. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, AGP leader Atul Bora said that during their stock-taking visit to BTAD on Thursday, they got wind of a bitter conspiracy behind this ethnic clash that has taken a heavy toll. On the other hand, CPI would take out a peace rally on the streets of Guwahati on Saturday.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has partially blamed the Centre for providing him with inadequate security forces to bring the situation under control. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Fruday, Gogoi said that a reduction in Central forces has put him in a fix.
Gogoi also that his resignation over the issue was not going to help reduce the tension. “Had there been full forces there, the situation could have been controlled,” he said. Gogoi made it clear that he was not making it a vote bank politics. He said, “I do not need a single vote of the illegal migrants.”
An uneasy calm settled over Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam on Friday a day before prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s healing visit to Kokrajhar. Four more bodies were recovered in Gossaigaon on Friday taking the death toll to over 60. One more person was killed in police firing at the height of ethnic clash in Dhubri. The curfew in Chirang was relaxed till 4 in the afternoon. The violence has rendered over 2 lakh people homeless in 400 villages.
Police on Thursday got remand of Amarjyoti Kalita when the prime accused in the infamous GS Road molestation case was produced before the Kamrup CJM court. Police sought Kalita in their remand for 5 days which was allowed. But the court slammed police for filing a case in loose sheet calling it an example of serious lapse in a high profile case.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit Kokrajhar on Saturday in the time of ethnic clash that has so far left 42 people killed. Dr Singh, who happens to be a Rajya Sabha member from Assam, is set to visit the refugee camps during his day long visit to the worst-hit district. The prime minister is likely to visit parts of Chirang district along with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take stock of the situation.
Police on Thursday arrested one more miscreant in the infamous GS Road molestation camp. Identified as Rubul Ali, the miscreant was arrested from Baihata chariali in the morning. He was straightly rushed to Guwahati to be grilled by the special investigation team of police. With this police have arrested 15 miscreants involved in the incident including the prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita and TV journalist Gauravjyoti Neog.
BJP on Thursday reiterated its allegations of a nefarious role of Bangladeshi immigrants in the on going ethnic clash that rocks BTAD areas where over 40 people were killed.
Talking to reporters in Guwahati, the BJP leader said that the government could have tried to avert it. Goel further alleged insufficient relief materials in the refugee camps set up in Kokrajhar ands Chirang districts.
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