Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha's Balangir district, over 1,000 trees have been felled to pave way for a temporary helipad.
According to the on-the-spot inquiry, trees were four-to-seven-foot tall and the survival rate was close to 90 percent.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha's Balangir district, over 1,000 trees have been felled to pave way for a temporary helipad.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Balangir, Sameer Satpathy said several trees were felled near the railway station ground in the district to prepare a temporary helipad without obtaining prior permission.
"No prior permission was sought from us for it," Satpathy said. He added that an inquiry in this regard has been ordered.
Union Petroleum Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan, however, claimed that people who are "afraid" of the prime minister's visit are trying to spread a false campaign by "misusing" forest officials.
"Following the direction of the DFO, a team will visit the site in order to ascertain the number of trees felled in the area," said Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Babaji Charan Raul.
Since the area happens to be under the jurisdiction of the railways, an official of the East Coast Railways (ECoR) said they are also conducting an inquiry into the matter.
"We are doing our own enquiry on the subject," Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of ECoR, J P Mishra said, adding, preparation of such a helipad is the task of the public works department (PWD) of the state government.
Pradhan added: "It is the local administration which decides as to where the prime minister's helicopter will land."
PM Modi is slated to attend an official function where he will launch a host of projects, besides addressing a BJP rally in the western Odisha town during his visit.
(With inputs from agencies)