HINDUSTAN TIMES, MUMBAISATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014 09metro |

POLICE TO STEPUP SAFETY FORN-E COMMUNITYMugdha Variyar■ mugdha.variyar@hindustantimes.com

MUMBAI: The city’s north-eastcommunity has reason to cheer, with the police deciding to step up measures to ensure theirsafety, by collecting informationabout its members, increasingvigilance in areas where theystay and have meetings to addresstheir issues.

The step follows a spate ofattacks on the community inthe Capital. Representatives of the Committee on NortheastConcerns, formed last month bythe Ministry of Home Affairsafter the Nido Tania case, metpolice commissioner RakeshMaria on Thursday. “He [thecommissioner] assured us that he would audit areas to check ifthey are safe,” said Alana Golmei,founder, Northeast Support Centre and Helpline in Delhi.

“We also asked if close-circuitsurveillance cameras could beput up in these areas and he saidhe would look into it,” she added.

Spokesperson for the Mumbaipolice, deputy commissionerMahesh Patil, said, “Ten daysago, the police commissionerinstructed all police stations tocollect information about thecommunity members living in their areas. This process hasalready begun.”

The community is also sharingnumbers of representatives who could address their issues andsafety concerns. “The NortheastHelpline – Mumbai is a collec-tion of contacts of members fromMizoram, Manipur, Nagaland,Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,”said Abraham Mathai of theHarmony Foundation, who facilitated setting up the helpline.

Community members saidthis was a positive step by thepolice. “While Mumbai is safercompared with Delhi, it is goodthat the police is looking intoour safety,” said Vanlal RuatKima, member of Mumbai MizoAssociation.

HC orders probeinto MET chargingstudents excess feeHT Correspondent■ htmetro@hindustantimes.com

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court,on Friday, asked the ShikshanShulka Samiti (fee fixation com-mittee) to follow up on a com-plaint filed by a Pune freedomfighter that alleges the MumbaiEducation Trust (MET) of mak-ing crores of rupees by chargingits students extra fees.

A division bench of chiefjustice Mohit Shah and justice MS Sanklecha also pulled up thecommittee for initially rejectingthe complaint.

The complainant, 80-year-oldBalasaheb Jambulkar, alleged that MET, which is headed bystate public works department minister Chhagan Bhujbal, hadrecovered crores of rupees bycharging students of its variousinstitutes excess fees.

In March 2012, Jambulkarhad lodged a complaint withthe committee, which rejectedit saying only affected parties — students or their parents — canlodge the complaint. Jambulkarthen approached the high court.

“We find the Samiti hasneglected its responsibility oflooking into a complaint filedby a member of the general pub-lic,” the judges said. Showing asexpenditure, amounts kept asidefor provision or reserve, warrant-ed making at least a preliminaryinquiry, the judges said, addingthe complaint is not wholly with-out substance.

The court noted the committeehad failed to observe that studentsmay not be in a position to chal-lenge the fees charged by the insti-tution and still continue studyingthere. “The pressure on such a student would be subtle, but effec-tive to ruin his career,” they said.“Not that every institution may adopt a revengeful attitude, but nostudent can take a risk.”

HC stay on hacking3,000 trees in ThaneFOR ROAD WIDENING Environment, forest departmentsand civic bodies asked to file reply within four weeks

Submit witness protection plan by April 11: HCBhavya Dore■ bhavya.dore@hindustantimes.com

MUMBAI: Witnesses in criminal cases who anticipate threat totheir lives can receive policeprotection from the state ifthe latter fails to come up witha comprehensive witness pro-tection policy before April 11,the Bombay high court said onFriday.

The court was hearing a suomotu public interest litigationfor protection of whistleblowersafter the killing of RTI activistSatish Shetty, whose scope waslater enlarged to include wit-nesses.

In an August order last year, the court had directed the stateto set up a three-person com-mittee to devise ways to protect

witnesses. “Till today, the statehasn’t even informed the court about the constitution of such a committee,” said the court’s order. “Thus, as of today, there is no policy.”

Assistant government pleaderNitin Deshpande submitted that

for the implementationof the witness protection

programme, an allocation ofRs10 crore would be required,and queries had been raised bythe finance department.

“We are constrained toobserve that the state has takena long time to come out with a policy…,” the court said. “Thisdelay has serious repercussionsas, in a large number of criminal

cases, the prosecution witnesseshave not supported the prosecu-tion for various reasons… thelack of police protection may beone of them.”

If the state doesn’t come upwith a policy, alternative wit-ness protection arrangementsas directed by the court wouldcome into effect. The court hassaid witnesses can apply for pro-tection if they deem a threat totheir life and the applicationwould be scrutinised by a com-mittee, in line with a February2013 government order issuedfor whistleblower protection.In view of threat perception,the investigating officer canalso recommend protection for witnesses.

The matter will be heard nexton April 17.

Snehal Rebello■ snehal.rebello@hindustantimes.com

MUMBAI: The Bombay highcourt (HC) on Friday stayed the hacking of more than 3,000trees at Wada in Thane district,for a road widening projectof the Mumbai MetropolitanRegion Development Authority(MMRDA).

The project involved hacking3,027 trees that form a canopy along the 20-km Shirsad-Ambadiroad in the Bhiwandi-Vasai talu-ka to make way for a four-laneroad from the two-lane one, which connects the national highwaysof Nashik, Pune and Gujarat.

A division bench of justiceAS Oka and justice AA Sayyadasked various authorities to filetheir replies within four weeks. “Apart from the MMRDA, theVasai-Virar and Bhiwandimunicipal corporations had notfiled their respective affidavitsbased on the previous hearings. The three authorities, along withthe state environment and forestdepartments, and the union envi-ronment ministry will have to file their replies in four weeks,”said advocate Gayatri Singh for petitioner for NGO Vanashakti.

Hindustan Times had, onMarch 28, 2013, reported that data accessed under the Right toInformation (RTI) Act revealedthat 150 trees would be uproot-ed on every 1-km stretch on theroute. Following the report,Vanashakti had filed a publicinterest litigation in the HCseeking restraint on hacking oftrees along the road, on groundsthat it violates environment andforest rules.

Environmentalists havedemanded a realignment of theroad to prevent trees from facingthe axe. While the area is located

in the Tansa river basin, which isalso a tributary of the Vaitarnariver, the Tungareshwar WildlifeSanctuary (85sqkm) and TansaWildlife Sanctuary (320sqkm) are on either sides of the road.

“While MMRDA had said theywould reconsider its decision, wewanted to get them on record andsay it in writing,” said Stalin D,

project director, Vanashakti.The petition stated the MMRDA

has not undertaken an environ-ment impact assessment for theproject, even as its 2km stretch passes through the vicinity ofthe wildlife sanctuaries that fallunder the proposed buffer zone, submitted by the state to the unionenvironment ministry.

■ In an order passed in August last year, the court directed thestate to set up a three-personcommittee to come up withways to protect witnesses

■ The committee should havebeen appointed in four weeks,and the report submitted in

eight weeks■ The court said it has not even

been informed about the con-stitution of such a committee

■ The lack of police protectioncould be a reason for wit-nesses not supporting theprosecution, the court said.

THE PROJECTThe road widening project of theMMRDA involved hacking 3,027trees that form a canopy alongthe 20-km Shirsad-Ambadi roadin the Bhiwandi-Vasai taluka, to make way for a four-lane roadinstead of the two-lane one,which connects national highwaysof Nashik, Pune and Gujarat

The area is located in the Tansariver basin, which is also atributary of the Vaitarna river.

Wildlife sanctuaries such asTungareshwar (85sqkm) andTansa (320sqkm) are oneither sides of the road

THE PROBLEMSHindustan Times had, on March 28,2013, reported that data accessedunder the RTI Act revealed that 150trees would be uprooted on every1-km stretch on the route

Following the report, Vanashaktifiled a PIL in the HC seekingrestraint on the tree hacking as itviolates environment, forest rules

The petition said MMRDA has notundertaken an environment impactassessment, even as a 2km stretchpasses through vicinity of wildlife sanctuaries under the proposedbuffer zone submitted by the state to the union environment ministry.

whyyoushouldcare■ Tree felling or deforestation leads

to evaporation of surface waterin water bodies, and soil erosionthat affects water quality

■ Trees are vital for protec-tion of catchment areas,maintaining carbon balance and photosynthesis

ROAD IN PLACE OF TREES

■ This boulevard will disappear if road widening is done. HT PHOTO