Chief engineer summoned by Hyderabad HC for felling trees
Based on the telegram, the court agreed to take up the matter and asked the R&B and forest departments to respond in 2016.
Hyderabad: Pointing to the government officials ignoring a promise made in an affidavit, the Hyderabad High Court pulled up the roads and buildings department engineer-in-chief and Nalgonda divisional forest officer and ordered them to be present before it on December 15.
“Do not try to trap the judiciary like trapping cattle. If so, you will have to face the music from the judiciary,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice S.V. Bhatt said.
The court heard a taken-up matter relating to the officials allowing trees to be cut along the Ibrahimpatnam-Nagarjunasagar state highway in Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts for road widening works.
Advocate T. Rajnikanth Reddy had sent a telegram to the High Court about the fully grown trees being cut down and said it was contrary to the Water Land and Trees Act, 2002.
Based on the telegram, the court agreed to take up the matter and asked the R&B and forest departments to respond in 2016.
The officials had replied to the court by way of an affidavit that they would plant trees in the ratio of five trees to every one cut down within two months.
The High Court pulled up the officials for failing to plant trees even after two years. It warned the Executive and questioned the officials about the factual position based on the sworn affidavit. It summoned the two officials to explain facts.