The Supreme Court, Telangana and the forest land

The #SupremeCourt has come down hard on #Telangana’s Chief Secretary, demanding the restoration of forest land encroached upon in #Hyderabad, or face jail.

A bold move? Yes.
But a fair one? That’s worth questioning.

Let’s be honest, can any #bureaucrat in this country take such decisions unilaterally? Be it land diversion, forest clearance, or large-scale development, such moves don’t happen without #political blessings.
Yet, when accountability comes knocking, it’s usually the bureaucrat who takes the fall, while the real decision-makers stay untouched.

In cases like this, it often plays out like a script:
Netas remain in power
A few officials get transferred
Builders plead irreversible progress
Forest restoration is termed “unfeasible”
A large concrete forest is proposed
The judiciary considers the matter closed
And the forest? Lost forever

If we want sustainable cities, we must start with sustainable governance, but #WhoCares!

Courts need to go beyond officials and question the political builder nexus!