Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench, has slammed the Goa government over its “deliberate” delay in identification, demarcation and finalisation of private forests in the State. The Bench has warned of “coercive measures” against the concerned officers in case of irresponsible behaviour.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel directed the Goa government to complete the entire exercise within three months.
The Tribunal had disposed off the application filed by Goa Foundation, seeking directions to produce the report of the earlier Review Committee, formed to finalise the private forest policy and the reason for its rejection. The NGT had in September 2019, directed the State to produce the report before it.
The Bench had in October 2018, directed the State to complete the exercise of finalisation of private forest by March 2019.
During the hearing, the Goa government submitted that it had constituted a committee on January 21, 2020 to submit a report on the review of earlier reports prepared by different committees.
For this purpose, public notice was issued on July 15, 2020 and time to file objections was extended till August 31, 2020 on the ground of COVID-19 pandemic. However, the objections have still not been finalised, the tribunal noted.
The counsel for the Goa government submitted before the NGT that the exercise will require a year.
“We find the statement to be ridiculous and lacks sense of responsibility since the Tribunal, by order passed more than two years ago required the whole exercise to be completed by March 2019,” the bench noted.
“Thus, it is difficult to brush aside the contention of the applicant that the attitude of the State authorities is to deliberately delay the compliance of orders of this Tribunal for indefinite period, defeating the public interest,” the green bench said.
“We have conveyed this to the learned Counsel appearing for the State of Goa with a warning that coercive measures may have to be taken if the concerned officers do not behave responsibly,” it added.
NGT in August 2020 had directed the State to notify an area of 46.11 square kilometres as private forest.
