Working plans for 10 forest divisions approved, Gauhati High Court told

 Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court was informed by the state government that the working plans for 10 forest divisions under the Assam Forest Department have already been approved and implemented, while those for 4 other divisions were pending approval.

This was stated before the bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam during the hearing of a suo moto PIL (Case No.: PIL (Suo Moto)/3/2023). The Advocate General of Assam, D. Saikia, informed the HC of the progress made in the case since it was filed on April 25, 2023. The Gauhati High Court registered a suo moto PIL against the Assam Forest Department based on a media report that 23 Forest Divisions in the state do not have approved working plans. This state of affairs prevailed in the state despite the fact that the Supreme Court has clearly specified that all forest divisions must have working plans.

It is worth mentioning here that, in Assam, there are a total of 33 forest divisions, and 23 of these have been administered without approved working plans, some for more than 50 years, since 1972. Only 10 forest divisions have approved working plans.

A working plan is a tool for scientific forest management. It is very useful for evaluating the status of the forest resources of a division, assessing the impact of past management practices, and deciding about suitable management interventions for the future. It is also a document that regulates food production, silviculture, and tending activities for a specific period. The working plans are prepared for 10 years for each territorial forest division on a scientific basis. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of each forest division must prepare the working plan for that division and get it approved, according to the media report.

After registering the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in April 2023, the single bench of Justice Suman Shyam issued notices to the Assam government and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force, Assam, to take remedial action.

During the recent hearing, the Advocate General, Assam, appearing for the respondent state, informed the HC bench that among the 23 Forest Divisions in Assam, working plans for 10 of the Forest Divisions have already been approved and implemented. Also, in respect of four forest divisions, the matter is pending approval of the state government, and in respect of other forest divisions, necessary survey is likely to be completed soon, he further stated.

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