Ranchi, Sept. 27: The prestigious BIT-Mesra, spread over picturesque 783 acres of land on the outskirts of Ranchi, has encroached upon over 300 acres of “protected forests”, says a report prepared by the Jharkhand forest department.

Following a query from the Centre, the forests department has sent the report to the Union ministry of environment and forests last week, mentioning that BIT-Mesra has encroached upon hundreds of acres of “protected forests”.

BIT-Mesra authorities had submitted a representation to the state government this week, mentioning that the Ranchi divisional commissioner had transferred the land to it. The institute has submitted the opinion of advocates to drive home the point, sources said.

The forest department report says most of the institute’s buildings and hostels are built on forest land. Though construction work cannot be undertaken in protected forests without permission, the institute has flouted the norms, says the report. The institute also houses 12 students’ hostels, besides shopping malls.

The Hindustan Charity Trust, Royal Exchange Place, Calcutta, which runs the institute, was supposed to give equal area of land in exchange for the protected forests, but it has failed to keep its promise, sources said. They added that the history of land transfer dates back to 1950s when the institute was set up.

Sources in the government said that following a complaint that BIT-Mesra had encroached upon protected forests, allegedly in connivance with forest and government officials, the Union ministry had directed the forests department to probe the matter.

BIT vice-chancellor S.K. Mukherjee said the construction of the institute’s buildings started as early as 1951-52 and it started functioning from 1955 when the Forest Act came into being in 1980. “Whatever forest land we have is being maintained and protected in a better way than the government-managed protected forest area. Anybody can come and see for himself how we have protected the forests,” he said.

“Some lower rank forest officials rake up the issue during admission time to pressurise us. We have requested the former and present forest secretary to look into the matter, analyse and if necessary conduct a fresh joint survey to identify the forest land. Senior forest officials do not create problems, it is the junior officials like rangers who adopt these tactics to pressurise us,” Mukherjee alleged.

Forests secretary Mukhtyar Singh admitted that the PCCF has submitted a report to the government. “The BIT-Mesra also submitted a representation. We are examining the case and will take appropriate action. We will stand by the law,” Singh said.