Patna, May 11: The central empowered committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the cases related to the violation of forest (conservation) Act and wildlife (protection) Act, has fixed July 6 for the hearing of the case related to the violation of rules in a road widening work inside Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) of Bihar.

The CEC admitted the case on the basis of a petition filed by Ashok Kumar, vice-chairman of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Kumar had earlier moved the CEC after the matter was brought to his notice by Prerna Singh Bindra, a member of National Board of Wildlife. Bindra had come to know about the issue during her visit to the VTR in February this year.

Apart from widening work of Valmikinagar-Madanpur Road, which passes through the reserved, Kumar’s petition has also expressed concerns about the Gaunaha-Bhikhna Thori Road, around 4km stretch of which passes through the Manguraha range of the reserve, stating that even this road might be widened.

The Telegraph had on February 8 published a report highlighting the issue. Once this matter came in the public domain, forest officials swung into action and they prevailed upon the agency to stop the road widening work with immediate effect.

Since then no work has been done on this road.

The CEC, on May 10, was told that the violation of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 did take place in widening of Valmikinagar-Madanpur Road and the agency widened the road from existing 3mt to 7m.

The CEC was said the widening of Gaunaha-Bhikna Thori Road, about which concern was expressed in the petition, had not taken place.

Expressing happiness over the admission of his petition, Kumar said: “Though a legal procedure takes time, yet it is a matter of great satisfaction that the matter has been admitted by the apex body and further violation of rules would be not possible now.”

He said notices would be issued to the state government and the agencies concerned seeking details about the violation of rules.

A forest department source said the confusion over construction of Valmikinagar-Madanpur Road took place as the agency executing the work cited the government’s decision in 1961-62 when the land was transferred to the road construction department and the VTR was informed about it only in 1989-90.