JAIPUR: A group of people protested against the RIICO’s plan to develop a Fintech Park near Taru Chhaya Nagar on Tonk road alleging that the project to be built over 40 hectare will destroy the trees and scare away the birds living there.
Under the banner of ‘Save Dol Ka Bagh Forest Collective’, representatives of the group said the land near the airport has a forest with around 1,000 trees and more than 100 different types of bird species.
It also threatened that their protest will be intensified if the government does not change the purpose of the land.
“Let it be known, that if the bulldozers and excavators tread any further on this land, all of us are willing to re-enact Kherjarli 1730, Jodhpur district and Chipko Andolan of the 70’s in Uttrakhand.
Our protest will be intensified, if we are not heard and the purpose of this land is not changed,” the forum said in a letter to RIICO chairman Kuldeep Ranka.
However, a RIICO official said that the land is a private khatedari land purchased by RIICO for industrial development and a forest area.
“The land does not belong to the forest land because of which and there has never been any official census of birds or count of trees.
Also, the revenue records show the name was baadh (area separated for protection) not bagh (garden) as mentioned by the group,” he said.
He said that in the case Subhash Sindhi Cooperative Housing Society, the Supreme Court had said that the existing land would be used for industrial purposes.
In the letter to Ranka, the group said, “The letter is a request from over 300 citizens of Jaipur along with many others with the hope that without much ado you will consider our appeal and withdraw the proposed Fintech Park.
We instead would like support from the government to help us residents to develop this forest area for our present and our future.”