The abuse of an on-duty woman forest officer by West Bengal Minister Akhil Giri while she and her team were attempting to free forest land at Tajpur Sea Resort in East Midnapore district from illegal encroachments is also a sort of environmental crime, feel city-based environmentalists.
A purported video of the incident went viral following which the Trinamool top leadership asked Giri to resign.
According to acclaimed green technologist and environmental activist Somendra Mohan Ghosh, the event of the abuse of the officer by the Minister for her attempts to stop illegal encroachments and constructions on forest land that were aggravating the dangers of deforestation in East Midnapore district should also come under the purview of environmental crime.
“In the age of climate change, when globally everyone is speaking of large-scale afforestation, then in West Bengal cutting down of trees has become rampant. Now when the minister is supposed to cooperate with the forest department officials for removing illegal encroachments, in reality, he is abusing a lady forest officer for her attempts to remove illegal encroachments on forest land.” Ghosh told IANS.
He also pointed out that recently there was a court order directing disconnection of power services to any illegal construction. “The lady forest officer just did that. That is exactly why I am describing such an act on the part of the minister as an environmental crime,” said Ghosh.
Another environmental activist, Prasun Acharya, who is currently the secretary of the environment-protection rights group Green Nagarik (Green Citizen), agreed with Ghosh’s contention that the minister’s behaviour was equally an “administrative” and “environmental” crime.
“Illegal encroachments and constructions have become rampant in West Bengal both on forest land as well as at river banks. It is unfortunate that a member of the state cabinet who is supposed to cooperate with the administrative officials in combating the menace was actually creating obstructions for removing illegal encroachments. It is even more unfortunate that such an action has come from the minister who is in charge of the state correctional services department, whose prime task is to reform the jail inmates. My question is whether the minister does not consider environmental crime within the larger purview of criminal activities,” Acharya said.
Already in the face of large-scale criticisms within and outside, Giri has announced his decision to tender his resignation as a minister. However, he is adamant about not making an apology to the forest officer.
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