Legislator has to pay up approach road construction expenses

Nagpur, Sep 5 (UNI) The High Court here has ordered the recovery from a former legislator, of the expenses incurred on the construction of an approach road through the forest area to his farmhouse.

A division bench comprising justices A H Joshi and R C Chavan said that the road to the farmhouse in Chandrapur district of Avinash Warjukar, a former member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Chimur, be closed immediately.

The directive came in response to a writ petition filed by Chandrapur Zilla Parishad (ZP) member Vilas Donade, challenging the extension of an existing road to Mr Warjukar's farmhouse by spending public money. Mr Warjukar was a legislator when the extension was done.

Observing that trees had been cut for the construction of the road, the bench ordered that the cost of reforestation should also be recovered from Mr Warjukar.

The court said that an officer of the rank of deputy conservator of forests should prepare an estimate of the cost of construction and reforestation within 60 days.

The court has directed Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to assess the cost that was incurred on laying an electric supply line to the farmhouse, and recover it from Mr Warjukar. The court has also ordered the recovery from the former legislator of Rs 25,000 towards the fee for the amicus curiae appointed in the case.

''Public memory is short and, therefore, may be, wrongdoers believe that in a short while, people will forget the gross violation of laws made in order to protect fragile ecosystem. We believe that the state government officials would realise that overlooking infractions of the type or dealing with such infractions leniently would encourage similar infractions,'' the bench observed in its ruling delivered yesterday.

UNI