The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has served notices to the Central and State Governments and the city’s Chandaka-based Mahavir Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) chairman over the alleged use of forestland for non-forest purposes.
The NGT Eastern Zone has issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Forest and Environment Principal Secretary, the Khordha district Collector, the Chandaka Wildlife DFO, the Bhubaneswar DCP, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the MIET to provide reports on the use of forestland by October 20.
The direction of the tribunal came on a petition filed by social activist Biswa Bhusan Nanda of Bhubaneswar.
The petitioner has alleged that MIET Chairman Gandharb Chandra Nayak had illegally encroached upon a patch of forestland at Paniora in Jatani tehsil under the Chandaka police station in Khordha district.
“Where the land over Kissam Chotta Jungle/Forest land is highly objectionable, and showing this illegal land and 17,400 square ft constructed building, thereon, he has availed approval/affiliation/recognition from the AICTE and the BPUT, the statutory bodies of the Government of India and Odisha, respectively,” the petitioner as alleged.
Boundary walls were also constructed over the said plots. The elephant pathway and natural water resources to the forestland as well as the adjacent farming land were also stopped.
“The Income Tax Commissioner had already initiated a case on July 21 for suppression of tax on the said constructed building on forestland as well as the DCP had already initiated an inquiry through the ACP Zone-VI on June 20 on grabbing of forestland and constructed building and boundary wall thereon,” the petitioner has contended.