MADURAI: Public Works Department has been accused of auctioning felled trees in Observation Home for Boys and Girls on Kamarajar Salai here for grossly low prices.
In a petition submitted to the Collector’s office on Monday, S. Ravichandran, a resident of Anuppanadi, alleged that while tens of decades-old trees of various species, including pipal, neem and kadamba, were felled for the renovation and construction works in progress, the amount obtained from the auction of the wood was just Rs. 58,410.
“I work as an advocate’s clerk and hence frequently visit the Juvenile Justice Board located on the campus. A large number of trees in the front portion have been felled,” Mr. Ravichandran, who obtained information from the PWD through the Right to Information Act, said.
He said though the PWD avoided mentioning the number of trees in its reply, the auctioned amount appeared extremely low compared to market prices. “A thorough enquiry is needed to check if there was any misconduct,” he said.
He also questioned whether the PWD had planted saplings proportional to the number of felled trees as per guidelines issued by the Madras High Court in a judgement in 2014.
The home, which served as the only home for Madurai and surrounding districts to house juveniles in conflict with law, was closed in February 2015 for renovation following frequent incidents of escape by inmates due to inadequate security.
A PWD official involved in the project denied the allegations. “Before felling, we got approvals from forest and revenue officials. Analysing the size, age and other factors of the trees, the District Forest Office fixed the minimum auction price as Rs. 52,000. The PWD carried out the auction based on this,” he said.
Moreover, a majority of the trees were not fully grown and hence not suited for timber. “There were only around ten trees that were quite big,” he added.
The auction was handled by the PWD, S. Dhanasekara Pandian, Deputy Director of Social Defence Department that runs the home, said, adding special focus was being given to ensure that the campus had adequate greenery. “We have planted many saplings. The home is being developed as a model home in Tamil Nadu in a children-friendly and eco-friendly manner,” he said.
