The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday directed demolition of illegally constructed ashram of controversial godman Asaram Bapu in Karol Bagh area of the national Capital. An order to this effect was passed by the Forest Resettlement Officer (South-West) of Delhi Government way back in 2009.
The ashram just could not be demolished to the apathy of Delhi Administration and Delhi Police. When the same was brought into the notice of Delhi Government, Chief Secretary DM Spolia has directed the concerned officials to take cognisance of the Forest Resettlement Officer’s report and take back the Government land encroached by the ashram.
The ashram of Asaram Bapu in the ecological sensitive central ridge of the Capital has a large number of illegal constructions. The total area alleged to be encroached upon by the ashram is about 4,312 square yard, along with a 350 feet approach path. Asaram Bapu was arrested in August last year on charges of raping a minor at his Jodhpur ashram. He has been lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since then.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued the directions to demolish the illegal encroachment and constructions made by Asaram’s ashram and asked it to bear the cost of the demolition and plant 1,000 trees. The NGT order came on a petition filed by an RTI activist Sanjay Kumar regarding the encroachment, that Asaram’s Trust had illegally constructed an ashram and other structures in the central ridge area here despite the notification issued by the Delhi Government in May 1994 on ridge area declaring it as “reserved forest” in terms of the provisions of the Indian Forest Act. Earlier, a committee constituted by the tribunal had informed it that the ashram in the ecologically sensitive central ridge of the Capital had a “large number” of illegal constructions. The tribunal had constituted the committee comprising Additional Chief Conservator of Forest of Delhi Government, a representative of Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) and representative of Ridge Management Board to inspect part of the central ridge area. According to its report submitted before the tribunal, there was “large number” of unauthorised structures in the ashram. The committee, which had commissioned detailed survey of the premises, found that there were temporary as well as permanent structures which did not exist in the map of 1996.
The total area is indicated as 4,312 sq. yard along with the approach path of 350 ft approximately. The central ridge is one of the four protected reserve forests in Delhi. Officially, the ridge is spread across 7,784 hectares from North to South Delhi, but has shrunk because of construction activities and encroachment.
Previously, a petition had sought the demolition of the ashram in 1985, but the apex court allowed it to run in 1996. Forest officials said that the relief was subject to adherence to legal procedures. However, a forest settlement officer rejected the plea to regularise the ashram in 2009. The Delhi Forest Department wants the excess land to be vacated and transferred to it for the conservation of the ridge. The central ridge is one of the four protected reserve forests in Delhi. Officially, the ridge is spread across 7,784 hectares from North to South Delhi, but has shrunk because of construction activities and encroachment.
Dismissing the application of Asaram’s Trust on February 10, 2009, the Forest Resettlement Officer of Delhi Government had categorically said, “the prayer of the trust to denotify the subject the subject land from forest area is not tenable and the application of trust for denotification existence of their right was dismissed”. As far as the welfare activities of the Trust are concerned, there is no impediment nor the Trust is completely dependent on the subject land for running their welfare activities as the ashram Trust is having sufficient land in Rajokri (approximately 19.79 acre) and Badusarai (approximately 6.34 acres) in the national Capital,” said the order of Forest Resettlement Officer.
It is noted that Ministry of Urban development had also issued notice dated July 6, 2005 to the Trust, directing it vacate the land as they have unauthorisedly and illegally occupied the Government land at Upper Ridge Road, ridge area.