Row erupts over allotment of forest land for petrol station
A political storm has emerged in Dharamsala following the government’s move to allot forest land for the setting up of a private petrol station. Sudhir Sharma, BJP MLA from Dharamsala, accused the government of expediting the allocation of forest land to a politically connected individual. He criticised the swift movement of the file, stating that district officials were actively pursuing the matter.
Sharma expressed his concern over the proposed use of forest land for commercial purposes, highlighting the contradiction in the government’s actions. While poor people were being evicted from forest land across the state, the government was allegedly advancing the case for a petrol station in Dharamsala for a politically influential person. He vowed that the BJP would expose the government over the issue.
According to sources, the Additional Chief Secretary of Forests had recently written to the Chief Conservator of Forests in Kangra, requesting approval for the transfer of 0.25 hectares of forest land to Pradeep Kumar of Palampur for setting up a petrol pump, which would serve as a retail outlet for HPCL. The forest department had already initiated the process under the Forest Conservation Act.
Chief Conservator Pavnesh Sharma stated that forest land can only be transferred with the approval of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. He denied any knowledge of the specific case but promised to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, Dharamsala DFO Dinesh Sharma confirmed that orders had been received to prepare a case for clearance from the ministry for the transfer of land for the petrol station.
The issue has sparked a heated political debate, with Sharma accusing the government of prioritising the interests of influential individuals over environmental and public welfare concerns.
