India, July 24 -- Reiterating the Supreme Court's (SC's) directive on the recovery of reserved forest land, the western bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday stated that the issue has already been conclusively addressed by the apex court. The tribunal underscored that it is bound by the SC's direction, and warned that failure to implement the same could attract contempt proceedings. The tribunal made it clear that if local authorities fail to act, the forest department has the right to approach the SC for contempt action. Meanwhile, the forest department is currently verifying land records as part of the transfer process.

The directive comes as the NGT's western bench in Pune disposed of a case related to the ownership ...