Ombudsman for Local Self-Government Institutions M.R. Hariharan Nair has ordered the secretary of Kollam Corporation to document the details on the trees that have been left after a large-scale felling by the Corporation for the widening of the road from Kappalandimukku to Ashramam Muneeswarankovil with Asian Development Bank assistance. The order was given based on a complaint filed by Odanavattam Vijayaprakash. The Corporation secretary, in a statement filed before the Ombudsman, said that 128 trees were felled as per previous order. On being told by the complainant that the number of trees felled was 134 and only 42 were left, the Ombudsman asked the Corporation to document the details of the latter in its records and take proper steps for protecting them. The Ombudsman noted that it was to prevent the funds sanctioned for the current financial year from lapsing that concerted steps were taken on the basis of a previous case and the trees were felled. He described the failure to achieve notable progress in the road construction so far as painful. He asked the secretary to take steps for the purpose and inform him of the progress on April 30.He also directed the secretary to plant three times the number of trees that were felled and to set up a committee for their protection. Steps to procure the same varieties of trees should start immediately. The Ombudsman should also be informed of the details of the place chosen for planting the trees and the members of the monitoring committee on April 30.In a copy of the order sent by name to the District Collector, the Ombudsman wanted a meeting of the monitoring committee to be held immediately after giving due notice to the Social Forestry Department and the minutes of the meeting to be made available to him.
The Hindu, 4th March 2009
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