The Times of India 02.04.2013
NMC fails to constitute tree panel for over a year
NASHIK: The civic body is yet to constitute the Tree Authority Committee on grounds that it does not have tree experts. The constitution of a Tree Authority Committee was decided more than a year ago.
On February 14, Mayor Yatin Wagh had announced the names of the members of the Tree Authority Committee. The 15-member committee headed by the municipal commissioner included five members from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), two members each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Congress, and one member from the Shahar Vikas Aghadi (City Development Front).
The mayor's list included Arvind Shelke, Nandu Varade, Sandeep Bhavar and Manoj Ghodke from the MNS, Kunal Wagh and Sujata Karajgikar from the BJP, Sanjay Sable from the NCP, Akash Chhajed and Shaikh Maksud Nazir Inamdar from the Congress, Shivaji Palkar and Sham Kankariya from the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Chavan from the City Development Front. The MNS and the NCP recommended two city-based tree activists Shekhar Gaikwad and Rajesh Pandit respectively.
Akash Chhajed declined to be on the tree committee, while Sanjay Chavan objected to the process, saying the law to constitute the committee - getting the approval of the NMC's general body - was not followed. Shekhar Gaikwad and Rajesh Pandit said they were not formally told about their inclusion in the committee. "We read in the newspapers that we were included in the tree committee," said Pandit.
About constituting the tree committee, the municipal commissioner, Sanjay Khandare said, "We will do it once we get the names of the experts. We don't have the names of the experts." He said he would have to check on the tree activists in the list.
The City Development Front's Sanjay Chavan said that as per the law the proposal with the list has to be presented before the general body. "Fifty percent of the members should be corporators, while the remaining should be experts," he said.
In answer to queries, municipal commissioner Khandare said it was not necessary to seek the general body's approval for constituting the tree committee. He also said that all procedures were followed for cutting or trimming trees in the absence of the tree committee for over a year.
Speaking to TOI, city-based tree activist, Vasudha Phalke questioned how procedures for cutting or trimming trees were followed when there was no tree committee at all. "As per the rules, the cutting or trimming of trees must be discussed in the tree committee meetings. The site must be inspected, after which a public notice inviting objections from citizens need to be issued before taking a decision," she said.
On February 14, Mayor Yatin Wagh had announced the names of the members of the Tree Authority Committee. The 15-member committee headed by the municipal commissioner included five members from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), two members each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Congress, and one member from the Shahar Vikas Aghadi (City Development Front).
The mayor's list included Arvind Shelke, Nandu Varade, Sandeep Bhavar and Manoj Ghodke from the MNS, Kunal Wagh and Sujata Karajgikar from the BJP, Sanjay Sable from the NCP, Akash Chhajed and Shaikh Maksud Nazir Inamdar from the Congress, Shivaji Palkar and Sham Kankariya from the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Chavan from the City Development Front. The MNS and the NCP recommended two city-based tree activists Shekhar Gaikwad and Rajesh Pandit respectively.
Akash Chhajed declined to be on the tree committee, while Sanjay Chavan objected to the process, saying the law to constitute the committee - getting the approval of the NMC's general body - was not followed. Shekhar Gaikwad and Rajesh Pandit said they were not formally told about their inclusion in the committee. "We read in the newspapers that we were included in the tree committee," said Pandit.
About constituting the tree committee, the municipal commissioner, Sanjay Khandare said, "We will do it once we get the names of the experts. We don't have the names of the experts." He said he would have to check on the tree activists in the list.
The City Development Front's Sanjay Chavan said that as per the law the proposal with the list has to be presented before the general body. "Fifty percent of the members should be corporators, while the remaining should be experts," he said.
In answer to queries, municipal commissioner Khandare said it was not necessary to seek the general body's approval for constituting the tree committee. He also said that all procedures were followed for cutting or trimming trees in the absence of the tree committee for over a year.
Speaking to TOI, city-based tree activist, Vasudha Phalke questioned how procedures for cutting or trimming trees were followed when there was no tree committee at all. "As per the rules, the cutting or trimming of trees must be discussed in the tree committee meetings. The site must be inspected, after which a public notice inviting objections from citizens need to be issued before taking a decision," she said.
