Shimla, May 22
The allotment of forest land to private parties for the 10 eco-tourism projects in violation of the Forest Conservation Act and state’s own policy is turning out to be a major scam with startling ambiguities and shortcomings in the “Memorandum of Agreement” in which even the total allotted area, leave aside the details of land as per the revenue records, has not been specified.
With no mention of land details in the agreement the private parties have occupied huge forest areas and built big structures, opened restaurants, bars and spa in blatant violation of the state eco-tourism policy.
Revenue officials maintain, “An agreement which vaguely indicates location and does not mention the size and details of land can be at best described as a ‘bogus document’, indicating a deep conspiracy to give away the state’s precious assets. With such a benevolent government in place there is no need to enter ‘benami’ land deals.”
In the “Expression of Interest” an area of approximately one hectare was mentioned, but at the Shoghi location, close to the national highway, the promoter had occupied over 2.5 hectare. Enquiries by The Tribune reveal that the land had been allotted for a meagre Rs 1.22 lakh per annum. In fact, the annual amount for the 10 projects varies from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum, which is peanuts when compared to the Potter Hill project, allotted earlier, which is fetching over Rs 16 lakh. Even in the remote village of Kareri in Kangra, visited only by nomadic shepherds and trekkers, the local eco-society is earning annual revenue of Rs 48,000. Intriguingly, no reserve price for awarding the projects was fixed. One party from Nagpur bagged six out of the 10 projects.
There is an uncanny similarity in the pattern allotment of eco-tourism projects and private universities, most of which have come up in Solan district. Five out of the 10 eco-tourism locations are between Shoghi and Kasuali, close to the national highway, where the value of land is quite high. A 25,000 sq m piece of land for developing a tourist resort will cost several crores of rupees.
This is entirely against the eco-tourism policy which provides for constitution of eco-tourism societies under the divisional forest officers to promote environment-friendly activities like trekking, nature walks and mountaineering by involving the local community in the interior areas of the state where no tourism infrastructure is available. There is no mention of activities like bars, spa and restaurants and the arrangement for the stay of tourists has to be made in tents and other temporary structures. Further, the Kasauli-Shimla belt which already has hundreds of hotels, does not qualify for eco-tourism projects the objective of which is to open the unexplored inner areas to tourism without harming the environment.
In the case of Kangra Forest Rest House site, the allottee has raised ugly structures in violation of policy, whereas at the Ala site in Dalhousie the old inspection hut has been transformed into a restaurant
The allotment of forest land to private parties for the 10 eco-tourism projects in violation of the Forest Conservation Act and state’s own policy is turning out to be a major scam with startling ambiguities and shortcomings in the “Memorandum of Agreement” in which even the total allotted area, leave aside the details of land as per the revenue records, has not been specified.
With no mention of land details in the agreement the private parties have occupied huge forest areas and built big structures, opened restaurants, bars and spa in blatant violation of the state eco-tourism policy. Revenue officials maintain, “An agreement which vaguely indicates location and does not mention the size and details of land can be at best described as a ‘bogus document’, indicating a deep conspiracy to give away the state’s precious assets. With such a benevolent government in place there is no need to enter ‘benami’ land deals.”
In the “Expression of Interest” an area of approximately one hectare was mentioned, but at the Shoghi location, close to the national highway, the promoter had occupied over 2.5 hectare. Enquiries by The Tribune reveal that the land had been allotted for a meagre Rs 1.22 lakh per annum. In fact, the annual amount for the 10 projects varies from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum, which is peanuts when compared to the Potter Hill project, allotted earlier, which is fetching over Rs 16 lakh. Even in the remote village of Kareri in Kangra, visited only by nomadic shepherds and trekkers, the local eco-society is earning annual revenue of Rs 48,000. Intriguingly, no reserve price for awarding the projects was fixed. One party from Nagpur bagged six out of the 10 projects.
There is an uncanny similarity in the pattern allotment of eco-tourism projects and private universities, most of which have come up in Solan district. Five out of the 10 eco-tourism locations are between Shoghi and Kasuali, close to the national highway, where the value of land is quite high. A 25,000 sq m piece of land for developing a tourist resort will cost several crores of rupees.
This is entirely against the eco-tourism policy which provides for constitution of eco-tourism societies under the divisional forest officers to promote environment-friendly activities like trekking, nature walks and mountaineering by involving the local community in the interior areas of the state where no tourism infrastructure is available. There is no mention of activities like bars, spa and restaurants and the arrangement for the stay of tourists has to be made in tents and other temporary structures. Further, the Kasauli-Shimla belt which already has hundreds of hotels, does not qualify for eco-tourism projects the objective of which is to open the unexplored inner areas to tourism without harming the environment.
In the case of Kangra Forest Rest House site, the allottee has raised ugly structures in violation of policy, whereas at the Ala site in Dalhousie the old inspection hut has been transformed into a restaurant
0 comments:
Post a Comment
THANKS FOR COMMENT