Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A public interest litigation (PIL) demanding the removal of encroachments on 11,366 acres of forest land spread in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts has been filed in the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court. Accordingly, the bench comprising Justice Mangesh S Patil and Justice Y G Khobragade has ordered serving notices to respondents including the state government.
What is the petition?
The PIL filed by social worker Jagdish Kondamangal stated that till 2020, there was an encroachment on 5,656.64 hectares (13,977.86 acres) of forest land in both the above districts. However, in the last three years, the encroachment upon only 1,029.60 hectares (2,544.19 acres) was removed. Hence the land measuring 4,600 hectares (11,366.84 acres) is still under encroachment. This was brought to the notice of the chief conservator of forest (Nagpur), senior officials and junior officials, but the issue was paid no attention. The encroachment is posing a threat to the wildlife animals in the forest. Hence the public land is being misused, he stated.
Request in the Petition
The petition requests that action be taken against the concerned guilty forest officers who have not followed the orders of senior officials; immediate removal of encroachments on forest land in both districts; asks the court to direct the respondents to present a time-bound action plan, etc. The petition was represented by Adv Eshwar Narode Patil, Adv Pawan Salunke, and Adv Sagar Mahale.
Order to issue notices
The division bench has ordered the issuance of notices to the State Government, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Nagpur), the Conservator of Forests (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), the Deputy Conservator of Forests (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), as well as the Range Forest Officers (RFOs) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Soyegaon, Sillod, Kannad, Nagad, Khuldabad, Phulambri, and Jalna North and South, among other respondents.