Monday, July 24, 2017

‘Why 3 differing RTI replies on Aarey?’

Times of India: Mumbai: Monday, July 24, 2017.
Three different wings dealing with forests have given three different versions on Aarey.
In July, NGO Vanashakti, who has filed a plea before the National Green Tribunal to declare Aarey a forest, had filed a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the revenue and forest department seeking details on the transfer of 20 sq km of Aarey land to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). In his reply, the public information officer said the file was destroyed in the 2012 Mantralaya fire. After the fire, the Maharashtra government had directed all state departments outside Mantralaya as well as citizens to help 'rebuild' the files. Vanashakti's query has now been transferred to the deputy conservator of forests, Kopri, in Thane.
Later, Thane resident Rajiv Datta too had filed a similar RTI with the Thane conservator of forests office. In its reply, the department had said as it was set up in 1974 and had no record of the transfer of Aarey Milk Colony revenue land to forest department.
In February, the national park authorities, in its reply to an RTI query, had provided documents that clearly show that 20 sq km of Aarey land had been transferred to the park. Other documents also record that over 500 acres of Aarey land transferred was being sought to be denotified.
SGNP's management plan for 2013-14 to 2022-23 also mentions that the revenue lands transferred from Aarey Milk Colony form un-classed forests. "The state government is trying to stonewall and deny information on Aarey. They say no land was transferred when we have clear proof (from SGNP) that land was transferred," claims an activist.
Citizens under the banner of Save Aarey Movement and Aarey Conservation Group have been urging the government not to locate the car shed for Metro III in Aarey to protect the green cover and its biodiversity. tnn