Temporary prisons for officers: Supreme court blasts Telangana over tree felling 
Politics & Law / राजनीति और कानून

Temporary prisons for officers: Supreme court blasts Telangana over tree felling

Temporary prisons for officers to enjoy: Top court talks tough on Telangana tree felling, demands action plan

JJ News Desk

The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Telangana government while hearing a suo motu case concerning large-scale tree felling in the Kancha Gachibowli area near Hyderabad. The court, which had taken up the issue on its own following reports of widespread environmental damage, questioned the state’s actions and pressed for immediate restoration measures rather than justifications.

Appearing for Telangana government, senior advocate AM Singhvi, told the bench that “everything has been stopped”, claiming that due permissions were obtained for most of the tree cutting, barring a small number.

Not satisfied with the answer, one of the judges asked pointedly, “Do you have permission of the tree authorities for felling the trees?”

Though Singhvi told the court that due permissions were in place, the top court remained unconvinced, and highlighted its concerns that proper procedures might have been bypassed.

The court was particularly scathing about the timing and urgency of the activity. “What was the tearing hurry to do it in the three-day holiday?” the bench questioned. Singhvi responded by stating the process had begun in 2024 and was being misrepresented as a recent act. “It’s being shown as if it was just started,” he said, adding that the project in question was valued at Rs 50,000 crore and aimed to generate one lakh jobs.

In response, the court said: “We aren’t concerned with project value or employment figures. We are first concerned with the restoration of the area.”

“Better thing for you, instead of justifying it, is to come up with a plan for restoration. Otherwise, we don’t know how many of your officials will have to go,” the bench stated. 

Source: India Today

Stay connected to Jaano Junction on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Koo. Listen to our Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Harihar Kshetra Sonepur Fair Faces Indefinite Closure as Villagers and Shopkeepers Protest License Delay

India strongly condemns civillian deaths in Israel-Hamas conflict, says PM Modi

Renewed drilling begins to rescue 40 men trapped in Indian tunnel for fifth day

'Uncontrolled Re-entry': Part of Chandrayaan-3's Launch Vehicle Enters Earth's Atmosphere, Says ISRO

Uttar Pradesh: Five Arrested for Gang Rape of Employee at Agra Homestay