Guwahati: The Centre has asked the Assam government to take legal action against Assam’s Special Chief Secretary (Forest) MK Yadava for unauthorized construction on 28 hectares of forest land in the Geleky Reserved Forest, located in the Assam-Nagaland border area under Sivasagar Forest Division and unauthorized diversion of 11.5 hectares of forest land in the Damcherra Innerline Reserve Forest in Hailakandi district of Barak Valley.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF &CC) has directed Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to initiate legal proceedings against MK Yadava for unauthorized diversion of 11.5 hectares of forest land in the two districts.
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Yadava, who was then serving as PCCF and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), had approved the use of the forest land by the Assam Police Housing Corporation Ltd. for the construction of a 2nd Commando Battalion Camp – without prior clearance from the Central government, a clear violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act. He also allowed the construction of the Commando Battalion Camp in Geleky reserve forest.
The construction, intended for a Commando Battalion Camp, has been deemed a violation of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, prompting a stern response from the Central Government.
In two separate letters dated July 2025, to Assam PCCF, Pee Lee Ete, Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Central), highlighted that large-scale, permanent construction was observed during site inspections conducted by the Regional Office, Shillong, on August 16-17, 2024.
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The work, which included significant infrastructure not aligned with forest conservation activities, was carried out without prior approval from the Central Government, violating Section 2 of the Adhiniyam and Rule 11.8 of the associated guidelines.
The state government’s justification, provided by former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) M.K. Yadava in a response dated March 13, 2025, claimed the camp was necessary for forest protection.
However, the Advisory Committee, in its August 27, 2024, meeting, rejected this defense, asserting that prior Central Government approval was mandatory for such non-forest activities. The committee noted that while an armed presence might aid forest protection, the scale of construction—described as 80% complete for most buildings—exceeded permissible limits and caused environmental damage.
Further compounding the issue, a site inspection by a committee formed under the National Green Tribunal’s order in OA No. 105/2024/EZ confirmed the extensive nature of the construction on undulating terrain.
The Central Government, referencing Rule 15(2) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, has now instructed the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to initiate legal proceedings against the offenders within 45 days and submit an action-taken report to the Regional Office, Shillong.
The state government is also required to provide monthly updates on the matter due to its seriousness and ongoing litigation before the National Green Tribunal.