11 trees axed at Govt Bikram College

Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, September 18

Advertisement

While the Punjab government has been planting saplings on the 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, a section of environmentalists and Sikh devotees are up in arms against axing of 11  trees (50 to 75 year-old) at Government Bikram College.

The college management claimed that the trees were axed to utilise the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) funds for constructing an administration block.

“The college could have shortlisted another site instead of cutting grown up trees, which were here even before I was born,” said a faculty member on condtion of anonymity. 

“All this is happening when we are celebrating the 550 years of Guru Nank Dev and sowing saplings for our future generations,” he said.

Acting Principal Kusum Bansal said the permission and all requisite formalities were completed by the Public Works Department as they are the executing authority. “We identified the space and asked them to complete the construction work. Else the RUSA grant would have expired. We have planted some saplings as part of the 550 year celebrations,” she said.

She claimed that the PWD officials had all the requisite permissions to axe the trees and carry out construction work.

Pawan Garg, SDO, PWD, said the college authorities identified the site for construction which had these trees. “We had no alternate site. Therefore, it was necessary to cut the trees to complete the work,” said Garg. 

He said trees were auctioned for Rs 61,000 as against the reserved price of Rs 59,808.

Interestingly, the Divisional Forest office confirmed that “no permission was given to axe the trees. The PWD wing wrote a letter to ascertain price of 11 trees.” 

“Following your letter, we are quoting the reserved price of the trees, but it should not be considered as a permission to axe the trees,” reads the letter by the forest official to the PWD wing.

Environmentalists have criticised the college decision to axe trees in the name of development. “As a part of year-long celebrations of the 550th Parkash Purav of Guru Nanak Dev, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced an extensive plantation drive. In his hometown, the trees are being axed that too on the government land,” they said. 

The Punjab Government plans to plant 66 lakh saplings in the entire 12,700 villages of the state.