The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) should be asked to pay Rs 85,55,090 for carrying out construction in 2.25 acres of the Ridge area without seeking clearance from the Ridge Management Board (RMB) or the SC, the Supreme Court constituted centrally empowered committee has recommended.
The recommendation report by the CEC filed through amicus curie ADN Rao states that the land in question is situated outside the limits of the proposed reserved forest in the Central Ridge but it has morphological features conforming to the Ridge as defined by the Supreme Court in a May 1996 order. For construction in the area, one requires permission from both RMB and the SC.
MK Jiwrajka, member secretary of the CEC has said that BRO should deposit 5 per cent of the sanctioned project cost with RMB to be used by the Forest Department for development of the Ridge. BRO should also deposit the cost of undertaking plantation in an area of 1 hectare and its maintenance for five years. It is also supposed to remove labour sheds in front of its newly constructed buildings and undertake plantation in the area.
The land in question, located in Naraina along Ring Road in Delhi was transferred by the Defence Ministry to BRO in April 2007. Shortly after that, it commissioned construction of transit, training and other infrastructural facilities for its personnel. The forest department took cognizance of the construction and in June 2009 wrote to BRO to stop construction.
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