PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the Goa government to submit a report on the investigation conducted by the Forest Department in the Siolim tree felling case in a ‘sealed cover’ within a period of two weeks.
The direction came after the State advocate general told the High Court that the investigation into the incident was completed by the Range Forest Officer.
The High Court, however, sought a report while verbally observing that the investigation might be an “eyewash” designed to shield the real culprits.
Appearing for the petitioners, who are residents of Siolim, advocate Norma Alvares, stressed that the penalty prescribed under the Goa Tree Preservation Act, which is one-year of imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh should be imposed on whoever is responsible for the butchering of the trees.
Advocate Norma submitted that new trees should be planted in the same place and people who illegally felled them should be taught a lesson.
She further brought to notice the Goa high court’s judgement in a petition filed by Living Heritage Foundation and submitted that the primary objective of the act is preservation of trees and not the destruction of trees. She pointed out that in the judgement the state has admitted that 88,978 trees were felled and only 13,785 trees were replanted.
