Document Fragment View

Matching Fragments

18. Taking a serious note of this change of stand by the State Government, this Court passed the following order on 16th April 2025:

“……….
8. It was almost after a period of four months from the date on which the proposal was received by the State Government from PCCF-WL-cum-CMLW that the proposal has again been sent back to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for his comments.
12 Hereinafter, “PCCF”.
11
9. We do not understand the propriety of keeping the matters pending almost for four months, particularly when an impression was given to this Court in the affidavit dated 02.12.2024 that the matter is being processed expeditiously by the State Government.
10. The Secretary, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Jharkhand is, therefore, directed to remain present in this Court on 29.04.2025 at 10:30 a.m. and show cause as to why action should not be taken for dilly dallying the matter without any valid reasons.

………” [Emphasis supplied]

19. Accordingly, a compliance affidavit came to be filed on 28th April 2025 in furtherance of the directions issued by this Court vide order dated 16th April 2025. In the said affidavit filed by one Mr. Aboobacker Siddique P, working as Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, GoJ, a reference was made to the chronology of events till the said date. It was stated that upon receiving comments from PCCF (HoFF) on the proposal submitted by PCCF-WL-cum-CWLW, certain defects were pointed out in the said proposal and the stand was taken for rectification of the said defects.

5. Vide our order dated 20.02.2025, we expected that the State Government would take action expeditiously.
6. Thereafter, when the matter was listed before us on 16.04.2025, another affidavit was filed by the State Government stating therein that the matter was examined by the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Jharkhand and was sent back on 23.03.2025 to the PCCF (HoFF) for examination.
7. This Court vide order dated 16.04.2025 specifically found that it was almost after a period of four months from the date on which the proposal was received by the State Government from the PCCF-WL cum CWLW that the proposal was again sent back to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest for his comments. The Court expressed that there was no propriety of keeping the matters pending for almost four months, particularly when an impression was given to this Court in the affidavit dated 02.12.2024 that the matter is being processed expeditiously by the State Government.

27. In pursuance to the order passed by this Court on 17th September 2025, Shri Avinash Kumar, Chief Secretary, GoJ was personally present in this Court on the next date of listing i.e., 8th October 2025 and he had also filed an affidavit on 7th October 2025.

28. In the said affidavit, it was stated that the draft proposal submitted by the PCCF-WL for notifying 57,519.41 hectares as Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary was made without carrying out a study or investigation and there was no scientific basis for the same. It was further stated that the WII, in its hurriedly prepared report, merely endorsed the draft proposal shared with it by the PCCF-WL. It was further stated that the WII had not considered the following issues involved: