HC stays work of PMAY dwellings in ATR

The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday stayed the ongoing construction of dwellings under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) at the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) of the State.

During hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the division bench comprising Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi and Justice Pritikar Diwakar ruled that apart from affecting the forest and wildlife of the reserve, it is also wastage of money as the residents there have to be displaced later on.

“When the displacements have to be done by the year 2020 from the place in the ATR, then the construction of dwellings there is not justified”, the Bench observed.

Regarding the matter, Petitioner Nitin Singhvi said ATR is an important tiger reserve in the State, where, as per the forest department’s claim, half of the tiger population of the State is residing.  According to last census of tigers, presence of 27 tigers was claimed by the forest department, he said.

The State government is constructing 621 dwellings under PMAY-G in 19 of the villages in the core area of the reserve.

The same villages have to be relocated by the year 2020 by providing a compensation of Rs 10 Lakh to each family. Hence the High Court had objected on the construction work and had given stay order for it, Singhvi said.