Supreme Court Today (March 6th) raps former Uttarakhand forest minister Rawat, ex-divisional forest officer for allowing illegal construction, felling of trees in Corbett.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today expressed severe disapproval towards Harak Singh Rawat, the former forest minister of Uttarakhand and a member of the Congress party, along with Kishan Chand, a former divisional forest officer. Their actions have led to unauthorized construction activities and the illegal cutting down of trees within the Corbett tiger reserve, drawing significant criticism.
The court, led by Justice B R Gavai, remarked on the situation with strong disapproval, stating,
“This is a case where bureaucrats and politicians have thrown public trust doctrine in the waste bin.”
This comment reflects the court’s view that both individuals have grossly violated the principles of public trust by prioritizing personal or commercial interests over environmental conservation and public welfare.
This is a case where bureaucrats and politicians have thrown public trust doctrine in the waste bin, said a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai. The apex court directed the CBI, which is already probing the case, to file its status report in the matter within three months.
“They (Rawat and Chand) have in blatant disregard of the law and for commercial purposes indulged in mass felling of trees to construct buildings in the pretext of promotion of tourism,”
-the bench said.
In response to these violations, the Supreme Court has issued instructions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is already involved in investigating the case. The court has ordered the CBI to present a status report on their findings within the next three months.
The bench criticized Harak Singh Rawat and Kishan Chand for their “blatant disregard of the law” and for pursuing commercial gains at the expense of the environment. According to the court, they engaged in widespread tree cutting to facilitate construction projects under the guise of promoting tourism, which the bench found unacceptable.
The Supreme Court also expressed its astonishment at the boldness with which Rawat and Chand ignored legal requirements, demonstrating a complete disregard for statutory regulations.
Furthermore, the court has decided to establish a committee tasked with examining the feasibility of allowing tiger safaris in the buffer zones or peripheral areas of national parks across India, aiming to ensure that any such activities do not compromise wildlife conservation efforts.
In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate has conducted raids on the homes of Rawat and Chand as part of the investigation into the illegal construction activities within the tiger reserve, indicating the seriousness of the allegations against them.
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