CHENNAI: Chennai-based Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of Union Environment ministry, which appraised a request to divert forest area for a new medical college in Udhagamandalam, has sought a few clarifications from Tamil Nadu government. This is one of the six medical colleges approved for the State by Union Health Ministry recently. To be built at a cost `44 crore, the institution’s proposed location falls inside The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and REC should recommend the project for State government to obtain clearance from the ministry.
While deliberating the proposal during its 40th meeting earlier this week, REC observed that the 25 acres of Wenlockdown reserve forest area requested for diversion was allotted to Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) Limited, a now defunct company, and the government did not get no-objection certificate (NOC) from the company, for the land to be transferred in favour of Joint Director of Health Services.
Also, the 50 acres identified for compensatory afforestation (CA) in Gudalur taluk of The Nilgiris is found to be in litigation and the matter is sub-judice. “A portion of CA land is under cultivation and the area has been notified under Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forest Act, 1949. So, REC has asked the State government to clarify on the physical condition of CA land, encroachments and litigations pending.
Finally, the REC headed by its chairman R Hemanth Kumar told the State government to provide ‘encumbrance free’ CA land suitable for raising site specific indigenous plant species. “The State Government shall submit the no objection certificate (NOC) obtained from Hindustan Photo Films Limited in whose favour the forest land was previously diverted.”
However, The Nilgiris collector maintained that as per the condition laid down in GO issued by Industries, Labour and Cooperation Department in 1961, the lands are deemed to be reverted to the forest department from 2013 and NOC is not required from the authorities of HPF to resume the lands.