Notify Saranda sanctuary or chief secretary will go to jail, SC tells Jharkhand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the Jharkhand govt is in gross contempt of court by not notifying Saranda forest as a sanctuary and summoned its chief secretary to face contempt proceedings on Oct 8 with a warning that if the notification is not issued by then, the top bureaucrat would go to jail.On April 29, the state gave an undertaking before the court that it would notify 576 sq km of the forest of East and West Singhbhum areas in Saraikela district – the only patch of forest in the world with pristine Sal trees – as a sanctuary and an additional 136 sq km as conservation reserve within two months of receiving a report from the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India.WII gave a favourable report but the chief secretary, instead of putting it before State Wildlife Board, and subsequently, before the state cabinet for approval, decided to constitute another committee to examine the state’s interests related to mining and implementation of the SC order.Amicus curiae and senior advocate K Parameshwar gave a detailed account of the Jharkhand govt’s machination in delaying the issuance of notification in brazen violation of its promise before the apex court. After a specific promise and a clear SC order, the state is now going back on its undertaking to notify the pristine forest as a sanctuary on the specious ground of demarcating boundary.A bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said, “It appears that the Jharkhand govt is indulging not only in dilly dallying but playing tricks with the court. We are of the view that the state is in clear contempt of the Apr 29 order of the SC.” “We direct the chief secretary of Jharkhand to remain present in the court on Oct 8 to show cause why action against him for contempt be not taken,” the bench said and told the state counsel that if there is no notification declaring Saranda forest as a sanctuary by Oct 8, then the chief secretary will go to jail, and SC would issue a mandamus to declare the forest as a sanctuary.