A day after a three-member fact-finding committee of Delhi Ministers was constituted over the felling of 1,100 trees in the Ridge area, Principal Secretary of Delhi government’s Environment and Forest department AK Singh claimed that the committee consists of only political executives and an independent committee consisting of Officers of the Forest Survey of India and other impartial experts has already been formed.

“In this regard, it is informed that vide Order dated May 15, Supreme Court of India has already constituted an independent fact-finding committee consisting of Officers of the Forest Survey of India and other impartial experts. The said Committee has also been given the liberty to inspect and collect all required information pertaining to the case being examined by the Apex Court,”.Singh said.

He added that the committee has furnished preliminary report before the court and said, “Therefore, constituting another committee (in the name of fact finding) when the Apex Court is already in seize of the matter, is not only improper but may also invite contempt of the court for interfering in the judicial process of fact finding.”

Singh said that the Minister In-charge of the Forest and Environment Department Gopal Rai is primarily responsible for disposal of business of that department. “If a committee is required to be constituted to inquire on the initiative of the Department, the same requires approval of the Council of Ministers,” he said.

“Further, the constitution of the fact finding committee is a departure from the general practice and procedure of the CiNCT. The undersigned / Principal Secretary (Environment & Forest) is being asked to report to the Minister of Urban Development, whereas there are no orders by the Chief Minister to that effect,” he said while adding that Gopal Rai is not even a member of the committee.

He also alleged that the committee is nothing but a "Group of Ministers" which has not been constituted by the Council of Ministers to conduct the exercise as desired in the minutes of the meeting on Saturday and meeting notice on Sunday.

“The said fact-finding committee has been constituted under the signatures of Saurabh Bharadwaj without any due authority or sanction from the Council of Ministers,” he said.

Further, he claimed, “Gopal Rai is the Minister In-charge (Environment & Forest), however he is neither disposing such business of fact finding in terms of Rule 4(2) of the ToBR 1993 nor any approval of the Council has been obtained for the purpose of constitution of the Committee of Ministers in light of provisions of Rule of ToBR 1993 read with clause 13 of Schedule to the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993.”

Hence, the constitution of the fact-finding committee to inquire into the cutting of trees in Southern Ridge by the DDA, without obtaining approval of the Council of Ministers, is a violation of the provisions of the business rules, he added.