The file related to the controversial no-objection certificate granted for construction of multi-storeyed apartments across the road from the boundary of Rajaji national park has apparently gone missing from the office of the chief wildlife warden.
People For Animals, Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi, had recently sought information from additional principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) Administration and Intelligence SK Dutt on the NOC granted for construction of the apartments. However, the file was not found in the office of PCCF (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden SS Sharma. Following this, Dutt has written a letter to Sharma citing allegations of corruption in this case. Stating that this file is not present in the office, Dutt has stated that unless Sharma has taken the file home, it should be considered missing and an FIR should be lodged.
It will be recalled that the construction of Nirmal Kunj apartments on 50 bigha land owned by Nirmal Akhara along the Hill Bypass road in Haridwar, across the road from the national park’s boundary had elicited strong opposition from wildlife activists as this is likely to cause major disturbance to the wildlife in Rajaji at a time when the Government of India is actively considering the proposal to turn Rajaji into a tiger reserve. However, Sharma had then stressed that the department cannot prevent the construction which is being done in observance of various building regulations as it falls outside the purview of the national park.