Patanjali Mega Herbal and Food Park in trouble for elephant’s death in Assam

Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Food Park in Assam is in trouble after the Assam Forest Department filed an FIR against its builder today for indirectly causing harm to wild elephants.

The FIR was registered in the Sonitpur district where Patanjali’s Mega Herbal and Food Park is coming up at an investment of INR 1,300 crore.

Salanibari police outpost which comes under the Tezpur police station will be investigating into the allegations.

The builder has been accused of being responsible for an elephant’s death on Friday for the lack of safety measures implemented at the construction site besides digging of pits.

Elephants (Photo courtesy of worradmu and Freedigitalphotos.net)

It has been reported that the West Sonitpur Forest Division Additional Conservator of Forest Jasim Ahmed had filed the FIR on the builder Uday Goswami.

According to media reports, over 14 open pits were found at the construction site which were filled up following State Environment and Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma‘s inspection of the site to check on the dead adult female elephant.

The builder Uday Goswami assured to erect a low-voltage fence powered by solar energy at the site which will be assessed by the Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) before its erection.

Uday  Goswami apart from the builder of the Patanjali’s Mega Herbal and Food Park in Sonitpur is doubling up as the Patanjali Park coordinator at Ghoramari Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) complex.

Pramila Rani Brahma, Assamese Forest Minister is said to have told the builder to leave half of the 200-acre plus land free from construction to facilitate easy movement for the elephants.

Controversy has erupted over the land allotment to Baba Ramdev‘s Patanjali Park with the state Congress unit alleging that it was an elephant zone which earlier was never given away for commercial use.

Earlier in the month, the Patanjali Mega Herbal and Food Park broke ground in the presence of its founder Baba Ramdev along with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other dignitaries.