Sources from the Forest Department said that since the party had permissions from other government offices, there was no need to hold back giving their permissions. “If the government itself has given approval why should we stop? The tree officer in charge was satisfied with the documents presented showing permissions from various government departments,” said a source, adding that the North Goa Collectorate too had given its approval.
The department, however, insists permission was only given to areas of the property that were listed as being used for development. Not all trees were allowed to be cut, only in a certain area, the source said.
Also as per the act, owners of the land are expected to plant trees in blank areas within a period of two years. “Every owner of land shall, within a period of two years from the date of commencement of this Act or within such extended period as the Tree Authority may specify in this behalf, plant trees in blank areas” so as to conform to the standards regarding the number and kind of trees which each locality, type of land and premises shall have and which shall be planted subject to a minimum of five trees per hectare in the case of rural areas.
Another reason for granting of permissions was, say forest officials, the presence of no private forests. “There were no private forests in that area. This fact was checked by the committee several times, and no private forest was found,” said the official.
However, on the night of May 14 bulldozers entered the village levelling a path to the area where the project was to come up using a tree felling permission that was granted on July 8, 2014 and which had expired.
Later permissions for tree cutting were dated May 20, 2015 and June 5, 2015; both of which are well beyond their May 14/15 invasion, thus making it illegal
