A day after the district administration’s felled hundreds of trees for a proposed beer factory at Balarampur in Dhenkanal district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday ordered immediate stoppage of tree cutting.
As per a notification issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the Central Division RDC has been asked to investigate into the matter.
The irate villagers, protesting against the cutting of trees for the beer bottling plant, had a faceoff with police on Saturday.
Environmentalist Praffula Samantara, who reached Balarmpur and held discussions with the aggrieved locals, demanded that the State Government compensate the community that has protected the forests for generations.
However, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the Chief Minister’s order to put a stop to tree felling as an afterthought following a backlash from different quarters.
“The direction for the RDC probe by the Chief Minister has no meaning since there is visual proof of the damage. Instead of the RDC, he could have ordered a police inquiry. It seems that the Chief Minister has passed the order under pressure,” said Leader of Opposition in then State Assembly Narasingha Mishra (Congress).
BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said the Government’s decision for an RDC probe is of no use as the damage has already been done.
“It seems some Ministers and bureaucrats are operating without the knowledge of the Chief Minister. The RDC probe into the incident is of no use as the damage has already been done with the felling of hundreds of trees. The order is only to pacify the people,” he said.
However, BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the opposition parties’ charges are ridiculous. The Chief Minister has ordered for a probe into the incident. Those who are found guilty would be punished, he said.