KOLKATA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Chief Secretary of Odisha today to vacate, mark and construct boundary to prevent any further encroachment on the forest land.
Acting on a petition filed by Activist Dr. Subash Mohapatra, the Tribunal directed to restore the forest land which was illegally grabbed by Bhubaneswar based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Appearing for petition, advocate Shankar Prasad Pani urged the tribunal to take stringent measures.
Earlier, NGT had directed KIIT and KISS to maintain a status quo on the construction activities on the forest land, which it has allegedly grabbed in the capital city of Odisha.
NGT had sought responses of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Govt of Odisha and Kalinga Relief and Charitable Trust, which runs KIIT and KISS, on the issue of the use of forest land for non-forestry purpose without any approval.
Before few weeks Odisha Information Commission has also issued notice to KISS authority to provide list of its students. Its alleged by some activists that KISS is grabbing govt support and other donations in the name of 25 thousand tribal students whereas KISS is hiding the fact about its students. Even SC & ST Development department of Govt of Odisha also does not have such student list & informations.
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