The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed legal action against M.K. Yadava, Assam’s Special Chief Secretary, for alleged violations of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The accusations relate to the unauthorized use of forest land for non-forest purposes without prior approval from the Central Government.
The ministry has instructed Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) to proceed legally against Yadava following investigations into the establishment of Commando Battalion Camps on forest land in Assam. The cases involve 28 hectares in Geleky Reserved Forest (Sivasagar Forest Division) and 11.5 hectares in Innerline Reserved Forest (Hailakandi Division).
Yadava, during his tenure as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), authorized the Assam Police Housing Corporation Ltd. to use these forest areas for constructing Commando Battalion Camps without obtaining mandatory clearance from the Central Government, violating the Forest (Conservation) Act.
In letters issued in July 2025 to Assam’s current PCCF, Pee Lee Ete, Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Central) noted that inspections by the Regional Office, Shillong, on August 16-17, 2024, confirmed large-scale, permanent construction in Geleky Reserved Forest. Similarly, an inspection on March 8, 2024, in Innerline Reserved Forest revealed extensive construction activities, with approximately 30,000 square meters of plinth area and 50% of planned structures already completed. Around 500 workers and multiple vehicles were observed on-site, as per a Master Plan provided by the Assam Police Housing Corporation Ltd.
Reports from the Regional Office, Shillong, and a National Green Tribunal (NGT)-constituted committee confirmed that both projects proceeded without Central Government approval, a requirement under Rule 11.8 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam. The NGT took suo moto cognizance of the Innerline case, while the Advisory Committee emphasized that, despite the need for armed police presence to protect forests, prior approval for such land diversions is non-negotiable.
The MoEF&CC has made it clear that Yadava lacked the authority to permit forest land clearance for non-forest activities, underscoring the need for strict adherence to environmental regulations.
