The high court directed the respondents to file report

Shimla : The High Court of Himachal Pradesh today issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Revenue), Principal Secretary (Forest), Director General of Police, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, D.C. and S.P., Shimla, SDM Theog, DFO Theog, Director Horticulture and the Principal Secretary (I&PH) in the matter of raising apple orchards by encroaching upon government land. 

The Court also directed the Principal Secretary (Revenue), Principal Secretary (Forests) and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to appear before it on June 2.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as Public Interest Litigation on a letter written to the Chief Justice by a resident of Village Chaithala in Tehsil Kotkhai.

The petitioner has alleged around 40 residents of villages Chaithala, Nagpuri Chaithala, Karewag Chaithala and Sevag Chaitala have raised apple orchards on around 500 bighas government land.  

They have felled Deodar trees on the government land and raised orchards. Some of them have even availed financial help from the government for constructing apple grading and packing house and water storage tanks. 

The petitioner also alleged that the government has also provided the encroachers electricity and water connections.

Get all updates by Like us on Facebook and Follow on Twitter