Guwahati: In a dramatic turn of events, the Assam government on August 13 transferred two top forest officials following a petition filed by Dalmia Cement (Northeast) Ltd before the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The cement giant has accused the Assam government of wrongfully charging exorbitant fees for forest clearance for its limestone mine in Dima Hasao district.
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The cement company is seeking a refund of Rs 56.85 crore in forest clearance fees from Assam government, claiming the land where its limestone mine is located in Dima Hasao district is wrongly classified as forest land.
Special Chief Secretary of the Environment and Forest department, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Secretary Neera Daulagupu were shunted out on the eve of a crucial hearing on August 14 before the CEC, a body constituted by Supreme Court.
The move is widely perceived as a punitive measure in the wake of the impending CEC hearing. Prasad has been transferred from his position and posted as the Director General of Assam Administrative Staff College just 17 days before his superannuation.
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Sources within the government reveal that an urgent meeting was convened by Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on the night of August 13, attended by top forest officials including Prasad, Special Chief Secretary (Forest) MK Yadava, PCCF and HoF R.P. Singh, and Daulagupu.
The Chief Secretary reportedly expressed his ire over the department’s handling of the matter and sought explanations from the officials involved.
While Prasad and Daulagupu faced the consequences of the transfer, Yadava and Singh, who are implicated in the land classification issue, have escaped disciplinary action.
Accusations have surfaced suggesting that Yadava influenced Singh to classify one area as forest land while designating another as government land.
To comply with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA), Dalmia Cement had paid a hefty sum comprising Net Present Value (NPV), Tree Operation Cost (TOC), Compensatory Afforestation Cost (CAC), and other charges.
However, the company’s stance has been further strengthened by the Assam government’s recent decision to float tenders for mining leases in the vicinity of the Dalmia Cement mine, categorizing the land as ‘non-forest.’
This apparent contradiction in the government’s classification has placed it in a precarious position. Dalmia Cement is seeking a full refund of the Rs. 56.85 crore, arguing that the erroneous classification has imposed an undue financial burden on the company.