The Samajawadi Party held a demonstration here on Monday decrying the illegal felling of trees at Balangir for construction of a helipad.
The DFO, Balangir, took up a plantation programme under the Urban Plantation Scheme in Railway Ground by spending around Rs 10 lakh in the financial years 2016 and 2017. The trees were of 6 to 7 feet height. However, for the Prime Minister’s programme on January 15, without the permission of the district administration and the Forest and Environment Department, 10,000 trees were cut down by the PWD and Railway departments, alleged SP Odisha unit president Rabi Behera.
The SP demanded a re-plantation programme by deducting money from the salary of the officials responsible for the act. The party also earlier lodged a petition with the NGT for a probe and action against the errant. Party secretary Sudarshan Pradhan, Sanjaya Nayak, youth leaders Sambit Das, Pradip Mishra, Sushil Hota, farmer leader Bijay Behera, Sabitri Behera and Rajyapriya Das participated.