Gustakhi Maaf Haryana: Pawan Kumar Bansal

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana: Pawan Kumar Bansal

Is Ministry of Environment and Forest behaving like a trader and not as a protector of climate and environment?

Issue of post-facto approval of environmental clearance to University in Aravallis in NCR.The way and manner the Ministry of Environment and Forest had acted in granting post -facto environment clearance to the University in NCR proves beyond doubt that the Ministry is acting as an advocate of mafia eyeing forest land.

According to experts ,post facto approval for educational institution is not only out of context and bounds of FCA 1980 but it will encourge others also for any type of project whereas it specifically states that cleance will be given in rarest of rare xases and that too for site specific projects. I would say this stay is potent as the judgement of GODAVERMAN CASE OF 1996. Godaverman case is the Gita of Forestry.

It gives the definition of Forests for the first time which is unique in the sense that Forest means land having trees as written in any dictionary.Our bureaucratic definition of forest means any area or land recorded as forest in forest or revenue record irrespective of whether it has trees or not.

Haryana has not been able to define forest till date though Supreme Court directed all states and MOEF to define forest in their notification. If state govt do so much more area will become forest and come under FCA act which perhaps the state govt does not want .

Needles to say that the owner of the University in question was once upon a time very close to top Congress leaders of Haryana and Centre.But with the change of Congress Government in Haryana ,like a chameleon changing colour he also changed colour and developed close relations with bosses of new regime playing caste card. card which proved so much effective that he was part of an official delegation of Haryana government to foreign countries for inviting investments.

Now name of his institution has become synonymous with Eminent political , bollywood stars and retired Judges are privileged members of Advisory board of the University.January 4 Author could be contacted at pawanbansal2@gmail.com