Min raises serious allegations against L-G & senior officials
New Delhi: In a press conference held on Sunday, senior leader and Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised serious allegations against Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and various senior officials. The allegations pertain to the illegal felling of 1,100 trees in the Satbari Ridge area of Delhi, which Bharadwaj claims was sanctioned without proper permissions.
Bharadwaj emphasised that recent affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court have confirmed that L-G Saxena visited the exact location where these trees were cut down. He criticised the L-G for allegedly not being aware of the legal requirements for tree cutting. “Is it possible that L-G, who has been in office
for two years, is unaware that tree cutting requires permission from the Tree Officer?” Bharadwaj asked. He also questioned whether Saxena was unaware that cutting trees in a forested area requires Supreme Court approval.
Bharadwaj expressed astonishment that despite the knowledge of illegal activities, officials failed to halt the process. He questioned why action has not been taken against the officers involved if they misled the L-G. “If officials
misled the L-G, why has there been no action against
them so far? Why hasn’t the Chief Secretary been suspended?” he demanded.
The controversy came to light through affidavits filed in the Supreme Court, which showed conflicting statements from various officials. Bharadwaj highlighted that only one affidavit, submitted by a contractor involved in the tree cutting, provided detailed information, while other affidavits were vague. “It is surprising that even a low-level contractor provided more detailed information than the senior officials,” Bharadwaj noted.
He pointed out that senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, had supposedly failed to inform the L-G about the necessity of obtaining permissions for tree cutting. “The Chief Secretary’s affidavit claims the L-G was unaware that permission was required. This is absurd. Even a basic worker in the MCD would know this,” Bharadwaj remarked. Bharadwaj urged the L-G to hold a press conference to address these issues and provide clarity on how he was not informed about the legal requirements for tree cutting. He also criticised the L-G’s selective disciplinary actions, referring to a recent incident where the L-G suspended an official for poor maintenance of a sports complex. “If the
L-G is capable of taking swift action in other cases, why hasn’t he acted against the officials involved in this scandal?” Bharadwaj questioned.
The AAP leader concluded that the lack of action against the involved officials suggests a broader complicity in the illegal tree cutting, and he demanded accountability for the mishandling of the issue.
