Dharamsala, December 5, 2014: Strict action would be taken to bring the culprits to book involved in the massive tree felling at Taradevi near Shimla, said Chief Minister
Virbhadra Singh while talking to the media persons outside Vidhan Sabha at Tapovan in Dharamsala today.
On being asked about the steps taken to nab the culprits involved into illegal felling, he said that the Government had taken serious note of the heinous act and had placed the Guard, Deputy Ranger, Ranger and Divisional Forest officer (DFO) under suspension.
He said that besides the tree felling in Taradevi, few cases were also reported near ‘Macchi Wali Kothi’ in Shimla which were also being investigated and soon the offenders would be behind the bars.
Answering to a question on his being termed as the saviour of environment, Virbhadra Singh said that he was sent to the State against his wishes by former Prime Minister, late Indira Gandhi as a Chief Minister to launch a crusade against the ‘Van Mafia’ prevalent in the State then and thereafter he had devoted his life and worked for the preservation of environment.
“I will never let anyone, may he be my son, to destroy the flora and fauna of the Pradesh” said he, adding that besides conservation of forests, it was moral duty of all of us to protect the wild life and animals too.
Being asked about the involvement of few in the tree felling case the Chief Minister said that “One Swallow doesn’t make a summer” thereby meaning that we should not come to a conclusion based not on enough evidence though adding further that the consultant of some company which had entered into the agreement with the owner of the land had been refused bail and soon he would be arrested.
Raising concern over the illegal felling, he said that the State Government had such strict forest laws that not even a private person can cut a branch of tree though standing on his private land. We were looking into all the aspects and I would be the most contented and a happier person to tighten the noose around the criminals involved in illegal felling, he said.
On being asked what next step was likely to be taken in this regard, the Chief Minister said that investigations were on and said that rather it would be his biggest failure of life if he failed to bring the criminals to the book.
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Date:
Friday, December 5, 2014