The Bombay High Court said that the Maharashtra government suggesting that there are 2,22,153 illegal constructions on government-owned Gairan (cattle grazing) land is most alarming.
It asked the government to ensure that no further encroachment on such land is allowed. Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Madhav J Jamdar were hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) that the HC had initiated while disposing another PIL that sought directions to state to take action against encroachment on Gairan land in Kolhapur.
According to the reports of TOI, the State through government pleader P P Kakade tendered an affidavit informing the HC that it had issued a government resolution in July 2011 imposing restrictions on use of the land designated as 'gairan' lands (open grazing land) and for removing encroachments on it. It said out of the 4.52 lakh hectares of land used for cattle grazing, two percent is encroached. The State’s affidavit said there were 2.2 lakh illegal constructions on such land.
The HC asked the government to submit a written statement within four weeks showing the basis for regularization until July 2011. The HC also asked the country to refer to the policies it took to eliminate encroachment on Gairan land along with submitting a roadmap for this year, TOI report further stated.