'A mistake but...': What Delhi LG VK Saxena told SC on illegal felling of trees

NEW DELHI: Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena , who also serves as the chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), acknowledged before the Supreme Court that even though the felling of trees in Delhi's Ridge area was a "mistake", corrective action has been taken against the officials responsible for the violation.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was presiding over the matter.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, Saxena explained that the DDA officials may have "misunderstood the approval" they received from the Delhi government under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA) of 1994, leading them to believe they had the necessary clearance to proceed with the tree cutting.

"The forest department issued a notification on February 14, 2024, allowing tree cutting under this law. A follow-up letter from a tree officer on February 15, 2024, confirmed this, leading to the tree cutting starting on February 16, 2024," the affidavit filed by Saxena in SC said.

It also said that the officials acted with the belief they were serving the public's interest, even though the tree felling was ultimately a mistake.

Saxena assured the court that actions have been taken against the responsible officials.

“Even though it was a mistake, the officials believed they were acting in the public’s best interest. However, actions have been taken against these officials. The DDA itself started internal actions, and legal complaints were filed on July 5, 2024, based on Sections 210, 233 of the BNSS 2024 law, holding the officials accountable for their misunderstanding,” the affidavit said.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed Saxena to file a detailed affidavit into the matter. This affidavit was expected to fully disclose the actions taken against the officials involved in the incident, including any disciplinary measures or criminal prosecutions. The court also requested clarity on how the felled timber has been dealt with.

This case stems from a contempt petition filed against DDA Vice Chairman Subhasish Panda over the felling of approximately 1,100 trees in the southern Ridge area of Delhi, which was undertaken for road-widening purposes.

The bench's directive followed submissions made by Saxena's counsel, Mahesh Jethmalani, who informed the court that the LG had visited the Ridge area on February 3 to expedite a road-widening project. The project aimed to improve access to a hospital treating wounded personnel from the central paramilitary forces. However, the court noted ambiguities in the existing materials on record and requested clarification on whether Saxena had been informed about the requirement to seek the court’s permission for the tree felling.