Team Herald
PANJIM: After facing stern action in the form of penalty from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over consistent delay in completing the process of identification and finalisation of private forest, the Goa Government has now constituted yet another three-member panel to finalise the report submitted by the Review Committee, after considering the objections submitted by the affected parties.
A three member panel is headed by Joint Secretary Revenue, while Director of Settlements and Land Records and Deputy Conservator of Forest, South Division, are its members. The panel has to submit its report within next three months, the final deadline set by the NGT to submit the report on private forest demarcation.
Last April, the Government had constituted a Review Committee to review the private forest findings of the Sawant and Karapurkar committee. The committee had to assess the areas of 42.12 sq km identified as Private Forest by Sawant and Karapurkar committee, nearly a decade ago.
However, the government rejected the Review Committee report, as it failed to hear the aggrieved people.
“The committee has been constituted to finalise the report on private forests submitted by the Review Committee, after considering the objections of affected parties whose properties are going to be identified as private forests,” reads the notification issued by Under Secretary (Forest) Shaila Bhosle.
She said that the committee should consider the objections of affected parties and submit the report before the time limit prescribed by NGT.
NGT, through its recent order dated August 8, has imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 per day from July 1 onwards till the time Government submits its report. NGT has allowed final extension of three months for submission of the report, subject to deposit of a performance guarantee of Rs 1 crore to the satisfaction of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Tribunal has further said that failure to complete the exercise would entail forfeiture of the performance guarantee and further penalty of Rs 50,00,000 over and above the cumulative penalty imposed per day.
It has also declined to grant further extension beyond three months to the State.
Last December, the NGT had directed the State government to complete the work by March 31 this year. However, on account of the Lok Sabha elections, the NGT had agreed to extend the time until June 30 and later to August 31.
