Rights activist files caveat at SC over NGT’s instruction against KIIT, KISS

Bhubaneswar: Human Rights activist Subash Mohapatra filed a caveat before the Supreme Court today requesting to get informed beforehand of any hearing against the instruction of National Green Tribunal (NGT) to remove Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) from forest land.

Notably, NGT Eastern Zone, situated at Kolkata, on March 21, had instructed the Odisha Chief Secretary regarding the removal of the institutions from forest land. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Chandaka Forest Division, Khurda District Collector and Forest and Environment Department have been instructed to identify the 18-acre land at Pathargadia here, enclose it and take its custody.

NGT had given the instruction after conducting a hearing on the petition of Mohapatra. He had informed that KIIT had formed Kalinga Relief and Charitable Trust on forest land without taking the permission from the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF).

However, KIIT authorities refused to give any reply regarding NGT's instruction.