Bhondsi IRB centre violating land Act

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 17

The Centre for Police Training and Research in Bhondsi has been constructed in violation of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900.

About 396 acres of the centre is under the PLPA and its approval for carrying out construction under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, is still pending with the Forest Department.

A petition seeking action has been filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as the Forest Department has never issued any notice to the Centre or taken action. The centre is used for recruiting and training Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB).

As per documents, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Gurgaon, sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), IRB, on November 6, 2007, that construction of roads and buildings in areas notified under Section 4 and 5 of the PLPA without approval of the Centre would be violation of the forest Act.

He called for taking approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forests for construction. The IRB IGP, on May 18, 2009, sought diversion of over 59.10 acres and proposed compensatory afforestation on non-forest land in Hisar and Rohtak. Some objections were raised.

On February 10, 2012, the police submitted a fresh proposal for diversion of 59.10 acres. This time, equivalent afforestation was to be carried out in Karnal. The Forest Department took possession of land.

In the intervening period, the matter remained in correspondence between the police and Forest Department, but approval was not granted.

In between, the DFO stated that the centre was using more than 300 acres. A fresh proposal was sought from the IRB.

In a meeting on February 11, 2016, between Amarinder Kaur, then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and BS Sandhu, then Director General of Police handling charge of the IRB, it was decided that a fresh proposal would be submitted for diversion of 396 acres.

According to an internal note of the Forest Department, it did not give approval for cutting trees and the IRB had given an undertaking that trees would not be cut.

The Forest Department claimed that the centre was violating the forest Act as equivalent non-forest land had not been provided. The petition in the NGT claimed that a total of 62,824 trees were felled for the project.

“Notices are issued at the DFO level. The case for approval under the forest Act is pending,” said Vineet Garg, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. “We have not issued notices, but letters have been sent to the centre,” said Deepak Nanda, Gurgaon DFO.

Green cover

• According to an internal note of the Forest Department, it has not given approval for cutting trees and the IRB has given undertaking that trees will not be cut
• The Forest Department has claimed that equivalent non-forest land has not been provided while the plea in the NGT has said that 62,824 trees have been felled