How Top Assam Official Handed Over Forest Land to Police—Now Facing Legal Action

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has ordered legal action against Assam’s Special Chief Secretary, M. K. Yadava, over serious violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, during his tenure as the state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF).

According to official sources, the ministry has found Yadava responsible for granting unauthorised permission to set up Assam Police Commando Battalion camps within protected forest areas, including reserved forest lands in Sivasagar and Hailakandi districts.

The ministry’s directive comes after it was revealed that forest land had been irregularly handed over to the Assam Police Housing Corporation Limited for the construction of camps, without obtaining mandatory clearances under central forest conservation laws. This action is considered a direct contravention of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The Ministry has expressed strong displeasure over the misuse of authority, highlighting that such decisions not only violate environmental regulations but also threaten the ecological integrity of protected areas. Officials stated that Yadava’s approval for the establishment of APBN camps in forest land was issued arbitrarily, without adherence to the legal framework governing forest conservation.

In a strongly worded notice, the Centre has asked Yadava to respond within 60 days, explaining the legal and administrative basis on which the permissions were granted. Additionally, instructions have been issued to initiate legal proceedings under relevant provisions of the Act.

This unprecedented move marks one of the few times that a top-ranking Indian Forest Service officer has been subjected to legal action by the Centre for violations related to forest land use. The case is expected to send a strong message across the administrative and forest management ecosystem regarding accountability in land diversion matters.

Yadava will now be required to justify the decision and explain the grounds on which he allowed the construction of infrastructure within ecologically sensitive and legally protected forest land.

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