Saurabh Malik
Chandigarh, June 11
Acting on a plea alleging the axing of seven trees on the Sangrur-Patiala road for widening purposes, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice of contempt to the Chief Engineer, National Highways, Public Works Department (PWD), and three other officers.
They have been asked to explain as to why the contempt proceedings was not taken up against them “on the account of the report submitted by the Sangrur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)”.
The Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli was hearing the plea filed by Jasinder Sekhon and other petitioners against the state and others respondents. The notice came after the Bench was told that the DFO had written to the Executive Engineer of the Sangrur National Highway Division.
She had, among other things, stated it had been brought to her notice that green trees were being cut in Sangrur. It was well-known that a stay had been ordered by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the HC on the cutting of green trees.
A report carried in these columns was also brought to the Bench’s notice wherein a project officer had stated that a total of 523 trees were to be felled on the city’s outskirts for the widening of roads. It was submitted that the respondent-authorities had apparently and admittedly committed contempt by violating the directions issued by the HC as well as the NGT.
After hearing counsel Aarushi Garg, the Bench also directed the issuance of the contempt notice to the Managing Director of Punjab State Forest Development Corporation Limited; Chief Engineer (South), incharge of Construction Circle Patiala-1 and Sangrur with additional charge; and Executive Engineer, (National Highways) PWD (Bamp;R), Sangrur at Patiala.
The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, had permitting the respondents-authorities to construct divider, pavements and lay the sewer lines while widening the road. It was, however, subject to a condition that trees would not be felled in the process. The respondents-authorities were also given the liberty to continue with and complete the construction work of the “welcome gates”.
Sekhon and other petitioners had filed the plea alleging the carrying out of unsanctioned public works, constructions and uprooting of “hundreds of years old trees” in Sangrur merely at the instance of a (former) minister.
Appearing before the Bench, senior counsel RS Bains had earlier contended the then minister wanted to spend as much money as possible in the shortest possible time for extraneous reasons. In the process, he was not only going against the basic plan of the city and the master plan, but the process was being carried out without the sanction plans of the municipal committee, which was the authorised authority.
Tree felling: HC contempt notice to PWD Chief Engineer among 4
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