The Supreme Court convicted the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials of contempt for harvesting of trees for widening the road in the capital’s ridge area and ordered a comprehensive forest. However, the court said that there was no malicious intention. The DDA Vice President had admitted in the previous court proceedings that 642 trees were cut for construction work, out of which 458 trees were on forest land.A bench of Justice Suryakanth and Justice N. Kotishwar Singh ruled on a contesting petition by Delhi’s 1996 and March 4, 2024 ban and Delhi Lieutenant Governor and IAS officer Subhashish Panda accusing the DDA chairman and vice -president of the DDA.
Court’s big decision on tree cutting in ridge area
The court’s approach should be strict when his orders have been deliberately disregarded. The judge said that the bench found the conduct of DDA contempt, which cited the cutting of trees in the ridge area deliberately, but denied any malicious intentions as the project was to serve paramilitary forces personnel, stated by News18.
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The case falls under the category of “wrong administrative decision”
The bench said that the case falls under the category of “wrong administrative decision”. The DDA officials imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 and exempted the DDA President and Vice President from the case. The apex court also asked the DDA to impose a lump sum fee on the rich people living in the ridge area who have benefited from road widening. It also formed a three -member committee to oversee the widespread forest plantation scheme and directed it to ensure a dense cover of trees on both sides of the access road.
Contempt notice issued to former Vice President of DDA for harvesting of trees
The apex court reserved its order on 21 January and said that it would have to look at the seriousness of the alleged contempt in the petitions. It issued contempt notice to former DDA Vice President Subhashish Panda for harvesting and directed Lt. Governor and DDA President VK Saxena to file a personal affidavit against the officials convicted for allegedly demolish about 1,100 trees in the ridge area in February 2024.
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Tree cutting case in Delhi ridge area
Trees were cut to widen the road leading to the Central Armed Police Force Medical Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS). The apex court said that the cutting of trees was reportedly began on 16 February 2024 and an application was filed earlier, which was eventually rejected by the March 4 order. On March 4, the Supreme Court refused to allow the DDA to cut 1,051 trees, saying the concerned application was “very vague”.
