The illegal felling of trees and illegal operation of Sawmills in Meghalaya has assumed such wide and significant proportion that the said illegal operation of saw mills and also illegal felling of trees has resulted in severe public outcry in the State. The common conscious citizens of the country have reasons to be anxious in the face of gross mismanagement of the entire forest cover and resources of the State. The entire episode has now attained higher proportions in view of some recent developments which prima facie reveal the intention of the authorities manning the affairs of the State to help in achievement of undue gains to a few individuals at the cost of the Environment, depleting the Forest resources and Public Interest, and environmental safety.
A PIL was filed by Advocate Nayanjyoti Medhi on behalf of the Garo Students Union through the Khasi Hills Zone President Sanjeeb A Sangma and General Secretary Alex R Marak praying for urgent judicial intervention of the Gauhati High Court into the illegal operation of sawmills and also illegal felling of trees in the State of Meghalaya, more particularly in the Garo Hills region and the subsequent inaction by the department of forest and other authorities in the State of Meghalaya to ensure strict compliance of the Hon'ble Apex Court's orders passed in W.P 202 of 1995 [T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad versus Union of India]. It was prayed on behalf of the Garo Students Union that if Gauhati High Court does not urgently interfere to close down the illegal saw mills operating in the State of Meghalaya and monitor the entire conservation of natural forests, protection, forest rehabilitation, regeneration, afforestation, reforestation and new plantations, with a view to maintaining or restoring the ecological balance, the State will soon have depleted the entire forest cover leading to environmental imbalances of catastrophic proportions. The Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Shri Jasti Chelameshwar and Justice Hrishikesh Roy has admitted the petition and issued notice to the Government of Meghalaya which was accepted by Government Advocate of Meghalaya Sri Ratul Goswami.
Further details may be had from Sanjeeb A Sangma at +91 98630 22587 or +91 94363 13284
PermalinkSubmitted by MD AFTAR HUSSAI... on Sat, 26/01/2008 - 17:10
Sir,
It is very nice that our people is now environment conscious. Sir in my locality (Doboka, Nagaon, Assam) there also many illegal saw mills running. But the Ranger takes monthly ransom money from the owner and they are now destroying our valuable forest.
Police arrested a surrendered KPLT militant on Friday. Identified as Maniram Rongpi, the surrendered Karbi militant was arrested from Nagaon.
He was arrested a day after three insurgents in connection with rhino horn smuggling.
Violence resurfaces in Karbi Anglong when a KRA militant was killed at clash with UKDA militant on Friday.
The clash took place in the evening at Sinhasan hill where the KRA militant died on the spot. The KRA militant was identified as Janghao Thawhaw who was attacked with sharp weapons. An UKDA militant was also injured in the incident.
In yet another shootout in Guwahati, president and secretary of a village panchayat, were shot at and seriously injured by miscreants in Kamrup on Friday.
According to police, Saniyadi village panchayat president Mokibur Ali and Secretary Mojinur Ali had withdrawn Rs 2.60 lakh from a bank and were on way to Guwahati when unidentified miscreants opened fire at them at Agiathuri.
Later, both of them were admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
A group of senior officials of Assam and Mizoram on Friday decided to continue talks to ease tension along the inter state border.
In a resolution passed at a crucial meeting held in the Silchar Circuit House, both sides decided that border tension should be de-escalated in Cachar-Kolasib belt during the last few days.
Cachar Deputy Commissioner Harendra Kumar Dev Mahanta and his counterpart from Kolasib in Mizoram, Niharika Rai attended the meeting along with senior police and administration officials. They further decided to hold quarterly meetings in Silchar and Kolasib. Top ranked police officials from Dhalai in Cachar and Vairangte in Kolasib will hold monthly meetings.
CPM leader Prakash on Friday came down heavily on the UPA government for the recent decision to increase the FDI insurance and the pension bill.
Addressing a public meeting in Chirang on Friday he said that CPI(M) would give an united fight with other political parties to defeat the move.
He further visited relief camps in the violence hit districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and neigbouring Bongaigaon. He also interacted with the camp inmates and called upon the state government and the BTAD administration to take measures so that people can go back to their homes at the earliest.
Tension still grips Haflong town on Friday. The prohibitory order was also discontinued in view of the withdrawal of the Dima Hasao bandh called jointly by the North Cachar Hills Indigenous Peoples' Forum and its students and women wings.
Curfew was imposed following violence during a 48-hour bandh called by the NCHIPF to press for bifurcation of Dima Hasao district into two autonomous districts.
CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat on Friday called upon people to defeat divisive forces---trying to divide the society in the name of religion.
In his address at a public meeting at Bijni Karat held that the recent cycle of violence in BTAD areas had nationwide repercussion.
He said that the exodus of people of North-East people from Bangalore, Hyderabad itself manifested it. He flayed both Delhi and Dispur alleging the failure in ensuring safety and security of the people.
A hardcore ULFA militant was killed at an encounter with security forces in Tinsukia district on Thursday. The gunbattle took place in the wee hours at Torani reserve forest near Pengeri. Acting on a tip off that a group of ULFA-men was hiding in the dense jungle police and army personnel launched an operation where the gun fight took place. ULF militant Wangli Moran was killed on the spot while others managed to escape from the spot.
Businessman Ramesh Agarwalla was found dead in Tinsukia on Thursday three days after he was kidnapped at gunpoint. His body was found at a tiny village in the district. Meanwhile, police have three youths in this connection. When Agarwalla went missing his family members denied receipt of any extortion notices. More arrested are awaited.
Yet another sensation murder rocks Guwahati. A group of dacoits killed a businessman in the city on Wednesday night. The incident took place at Bhetapara area. A few armed miscreants attacked businessman Dilip Saikia and his employees with sharp weapons. Some of the family members also sprang upon the dacoits. Local residents in large numbers also came out to their rescue. Saikia was rushed to the hospital. But he succumbed to his injuries on the way. The local resident captured a dacoit before it was handed over to police. A pistol was found from the spot.
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