Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena disclosed to the Supreme Court today that during his February visit to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) site, he was not informed about the need for court permission for tree felling within the Ridge area. The revelation came as Saxena filed an affidavit in response to the court’s request for details concerning allegations of illegal tree felling intended to facilitate the construction of an approach road for the CAPFIMS project.
In his detailed affidavit submitted on October 22nd, Saxena stated his visit was primarily aimed at assessing the progress of the crucial CAPFIMS project, which has been allocated approximately Rs 2200 crore from public funds. He emphasized that his directives were to hasten the project, crucial for providing medical facilities to paramilitary forces, and were not intended to bypass legal requirements.
Saxena recounted stopping at the road-widening site near the hospital and inquiring about the progress. He was told that permission for tree felling was still pending, which is why it had not commenced. He advised the officials to expedite the approval process, believing that only the Department of Forest and Wildlife’s permission was required, which had already been granted.
The Lieutenant Governor explained that he first became aware of the need for Supreme Court’s permission on March 21, 2024, when the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) proposed forming a Committee of Experts per the court’s directions. He also clarified that DDA Vice Chairman Subhashish Panda, who was undergoing medical treatment during the initial tree felling period, had not directed any actions contrary to court orders.
