AG asked to appear in important forest cases

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Putting an end to the controversy over the forest cases issue, the state government on Saturday asked Advocate General K.P. Dandapani to appear in important forest cases.

A notification to this effect was issued by law secretary C.P. Ramaraja Prema Prasad asking the AG to appear for the cases.

Last week, forest minister Ganesh Kumar had sent a letter to chief minister Oommen Chandy urging him to call in lawyers from the Supreme Court to plead the forest cases. He said the department had no trust in the lawyers now engaged in fighting the case on behalf of the government.

The letter had kicked up a row. At present there are two special government pleaders and a senior government pleader in the high court to appear exclusively for the forest department. The demand for roping in apex court lawyers has drawn criticism as the current pleaders are drawing handsome salaries from the state’s exchequer.

The new decision will be an extra burden for the AG as he is already dealing with many important cases including the sensational TPC murder case.

Dandapani had reiterated his stand since his appointment as AG that no lawyers from SC will be hired to appear for the state. He will also appear for the state on August 8 when a batch of 52 petitions in connection with the Ecologically Fragile Lands Act cases comes up.