Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) today claimed that land was allotted to it by Assam's Golaghat district administration for construction of residential units for its employees and there was no illegal construction undertaken by the refinery.
The Golaghat district authorities had allotted a plot of land measuring 67 'bighas' adjoining NRL's existing Township at Numaligarh in the year 2010 for construction of additional dwelling units for NRL employees, a release issued by NRL's spokesperson Madhuchanda Adhikari said.
This land has been in NRL's possession ever since and regular land revenue is being deposited towards the same.
The clarification in this regard came in the wake of reports published in a section of the media during the past week claiming that NRL has illegally constructed a boundary wall near its township by encroaching forest land.
A boundary wall to demarcate the allotted land was constructed in the year 2011 and while doing so, adequate measures were taken not to disturb the surrounding environment, she added.
Thereafter, after obtaining all necessary clearances from concerned government authorities, NRL started construction from 2013 and permission from Forest department for felling of trees was subject to certain conditions and the same were complied to in letter and spirit to ensure that no disturbance was caused to the surrounding wild-life.
Golaghat Division Forest office (DFO) had recently issued a letter to NRL authorities regarding protection of the environment of area surrounding the NRL township and the matter was under discussion, a forest official said.
Around 150 trees were felled in the new plot of land while the company as part of its afforestation drive planted about 6000 tree saplings of different varieties within its township area, Adhikari added.
She, however, pointed out that the Divisional Forest office has recently raised a few environment related issues with NRL pertaining to its township and these issues are under discussion with the concerned authorities for suitable resolution.
