GURUGRAM: The Haryana government’s decision to shift the
Kherki Daula
toll plaza on NH-8 to Kukrola near Panchgaon — instead of Sehrawan — is nothing but an eyewash, according to environmentalist Ram Avtar Yadav.
Yadav had last year approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the proposed shifting of Kherki
Daula toll
plaza to Sehrawan, claiming it would adversely affect local
wildlife. The case was against National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), central and state governments, the forest department and Gurugram’s deputy commissioner.
On August 11, TOI had reported the Haryana government’s decision to shift the Kherki Daula toll plaza to Kukrola, a couple of kilometres further down the road from Sehrawan.
“But had they been really serious about relocating the toll plaza to Kukrola, then NHAI, central and state governments, and Gurugram’s deputy commissioner would have withdrawn from the case by Monday, the last date for filing their responses to NGT’s notice on my petition,” Yadav told TOI.
Only the forest department has filed its response, he added. The next date of hearing in the case is September 14.
“I feel that the government is playing a game in this case. The state government is not interested in going further. They only want this case to go in the frozen bag and then they will take the entire 65 acres in Manesar-Sehrawan for relocating the toll plaza from Kherki Daula,” said Yadav.
“I have this feeling that the state government is creating pressure on the panchayat to give the Sehrawan land to them for the toll plaza,” he added.
In its response to the NGT, the forest department has said that the application for shifting of the toll plaza is still with its headquarters in Panchkula.
Rahul Chaudhary, lawyer for Yadav, said, “The forest department has submitted its reply. I would go through their response and then only I can respond on it.”
Despite repeated attempts, neither Haryana’s forest minister Rao Narbir Singh nor deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh could be contacted.
