Team Herald
PANJIM: This is a story that was waiting to be told. In the home stretch of its incessant investigation into the manner in which the Parsekar government has allowed Leading Hotels to fell trees, paving the way for construction of their hotel project, Herald can now confirm to its readers that the Divisional Conservator of Forests North M V Karkhanis has gone out of his way to facilitate permissions for Leading Hotels in a prima facie fraudulent manner.
Documents now in possession of your newspaper prove beyond an iota of doubt that Karkhanis wore two hats. One as a member of the State Level Expert Committee, which conducted field inspections, which found that survey numbers 4, 5, and 6 (where the main project and adjoining infrastructure facilities is coming up) had vegetation and forest density, which confirmed to the criteria of private forests. In his other avatar, he as DCF North communicated to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests the exact opposite, fraudulently stating that the same survey numbers did not confirm to the criteria of private forests.
He went further. While the facts mentioned above happened from October 2013 to as late as June 2015, Karkhanis did something else earlier. Between April 16 and April 19, 2013, he, in a matter of three days changed his report revising his earlier finding of the canopy density of three crucial survey numbers related to project construction, from above 20% to below 10%. An area of canopy density below 10% does not come under the criteria of private forests and allowed Leading Hotels to finally get permissions to fell trees and construct. Therefore he has consistently undermined the role of the State Level Expert Committee on Forests (SLEC) through his personal interventions, contradicting the findings of the SLEC.
And then after a series of inspections and reports where Karkhanis played a dubious facilitator for Leading Hotels, the SLEC finally declared, after its inspection on May 7, 2015, that the area under forest was 4.89 hectares, which was just a whisker short of the government of Goa’s criteria of 5 hectares and above for declaring an area as a forest area. The manipulation was far too obvious and clear. It was deliberately kept short by 0.11 hectares to declare it as a non-private forest.
This decision was objected to by two senior members of the SLEC (whose inspection reports finally count). One was Dr Nitin Sawant who gave a strong dissenting note stating that he “strongly differs” from the decision taken to declare the area under forests in the survey numbers 4 and 5 as 4.89 and thus not falling under private forests. (The government incidentally is literally after Dr Sawant ousting him from the State Bio Diversity Board).
This was followed by a letter written on June 16, 2015 by the highly respected Rajendra Kerker, member of the same SLEC asking them to keep the inspection report of May 7, 2015 “in abeyance” and study the Supreme Court order of February 4, 2015, which asked the state of Goa not to issue certificate of conversion of any land, which has natural vegetation of above 1 hectare. This was a very important letter since it challenged the decision of the SLEC to keep the plots meant for the Leading Hotels villa project out of the private forest criteria since the Supreme Court cut off is just 1 hectare. This means, that any plot, which has vegetation of more than 1 hectare cannot be converted for any other purpose. Thus the declared 4.89 hectares actually fits in the category of private forest as per the Supreme Court and contrary to the official report of the SLEC that the prime land for the construction of the Leading Hotels project “does not fall under private forests as per criteria”.
This letter too was formally deliberated and Mr Kerker’s reasoning was not taken into account. How could it when much before Mr Kerker’s letter, the first permission to fell 155 trees was already accorded to Leading Hotels by Mr M V Karkhanis?
(Tomorrow part 2 More manipulations as the government paves the way for Leading Hotels)
HOW DCF NORTH MV KARKHANIS WORKED MORE AS A TIRACOL FOREST DESTROYER, NOT PROTECTOR
17.10.2013: Survey 4,5,6 identified as private forests
State Level Expert Committee field visit report stated “Survey no 4,5,6 identified as fulfilling the criteria of Private forests. Density of more than 0.4 (40%). DCF North MV Karkhanis was present on site as member of SLEC
5.06.2014: M V Karkhanis insisted on re-inspection since LEADING HOTELS HAD ASKED FOR IT
Meeting of State Level Expert Committee (minutes with Herald) mentioned that a re-inspection of the same survey numbers already identified as Private Forests to be “REDONE AT THE INSTANCE OF THE DY CONSERVATOR OF FOREST NORTH” (M V KARKHANIS). The minutes state that Mr Karkhanis had received “a representation from the owner” (Leading Hotels according to the Forest department).
10.06.2014: Re-inspection concluded Sy nos 4,5,6 are harbouring tree species WHICH ARE FOREST IN NATURE TO THE EXTENT OF 95%.
Inspection re-done by SLEC, as per decision of the meeting of 5.06.2014. The inspection report (copy with Herald) signed by Pradeep Verekar, Member Secretary states, “It is observed that the Sy nos 4,5,6 are harbouring tree species WHICH ARE FOREST IN NATURE TO THE EXTENT OF 95%. PROFUSE UNDERGROWTH IS ALSO OBSERVED IN ALL SERIAL NUMBERS. KARKHANIS WAS PRESENT DURING THIS INSPECTION.
16.06.2014: KARKHANIS ABOUT TURN. WRITES TO HIS PCCF STATING THAT “vegetation in survey number 4 (and effectively no 5) does not “satisfy the criteria of private forests”
The same man who endorsed his SLEC’s conclusion, six days ago on June 10, that survey nos are harbouring tree species WHICH ARE FOREST IN NATURE, wrote, on June 16, to his boss the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests that on detailed re-inspection of the ground it was found that the “vegetation in survey no 4, does not satisfy the criteria of private forest and of the 16 sub division in survey number 5, only three confirm to private forests. He concluded “As such this vegetation also does not satisfy the first criterion and hence does not entitle to be identified as private forest”.
8.07.2014: Karkhanis & Leading Hotels win. Permission to fell trees given to Leading hotels
Permission to fell trees given to Leading hotels, obviously based on Karkhanis’ special efforts, to fell 155 trees in Survey number 4. This however expired before the company could fell trees and thus a second round of efforts were done.
12.02.2015: Field inspection of area done by SLEC. Observed the areas as having forestry vegetation
Field inspection of area done. Again Karkhanis shows up with his committee. Report states “Committee made observation that these areas are having forestry vegetation besides cashew plantation”.
7.05.2015: Another field inspection for survey nos 4 and 5: States that area under forests is 4.89 hc|
With the density of forests clearly coming in the way of clearing the ground for Leading Hotels, a new way was found. Declare total area as less than 5 hectares and declare it as a non-private forest area. Two members, first Dr Nitin Sawant & then Rajendra Kerkar oppose the decision (details in main story).
