ITANAGAR, 3 Mar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday said that a proposal will be sent to the Centre for dereservation of some forests at foothill areas for implementing development projects.
Many reserve forests at foothill areas were hampering execution of development projects, Khandu informed the assembly.
The chief minister was responding to a question raised by National People’s Party (NPP) member Tarin Dakpe on conversion of Kamle Reserve Forest into a wildlife sanctuary in 2015 without conducting any public hearing with residents of four villages having a population of 3,000 people.
Khandu said, he had recently asked the chief secretary to compile details of such reserve forests and send a proposal to the Centre with a request to use such forest land for carrying out development work.
“I have started the process and very soon a meeting will be called with all the stakeholders to find a solution,” the chief minister said.
Earlier, responding to the question, Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung said that as per Survey of India toposheet, two villages are located outside the notified wildlife sanctuary.
Quoting an order from the Centre, Natung said that the process of dereservation of reserve forests cannot be taken up without approval of the Supreme Court. However, he said, he will visit the area and try to resolve the issue.
Dakpe had requested the government to initiate measures to dereserve areas where villages exist since time immemorial and to constitute a committee to study the matter. (PTI)
