Guwahati, April 23 -- A counter-affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has exposed former PCCF MK Yadava's attempt to mislead the court regarding the diversion of 44 hectares of protected forest land in Assam's Hailakandi district for non-forestry activities.

Ex-PCCF Tried to Mask Large-Scale Construction Project

Yadava, in his January affidavit to the NGT, asserted that no illegal diversion of forest land had occurred. He claimed the land at Damcherra would be used solely for setting up temporary tents to house a Commando Battalion safeguarding the Inner Line Reserve Forest.

To support his claims, Yadava cited section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) A...