Remove encroachments within six months: Himachal HC

Getting tough about encroachments on forest land, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the government to clear them within six months, adding that electricity and water connections of encroachers should be disconnected.

A division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, in an interim order, a copy of which was given to the media on Thursday, observed that in all cases where encroachments have been removed or are yet to be removed, the cost of removing them would be recovered from the encroachers.

All crops and plants existing on such lands shall be destroyed, cut and uprooted at the expense of the encroachers, the bench said on April 6.

It is evident from the status report that there has been rampant encroachment on forest land. As many as 9,612 cases of encroachment were registered till September 30, 2014 and proceedings in 7,009 cases were completed, the court said.

Out of the 7,009 cases, encroachments have been removed in 3,392 cases.

Amicus curiae J.L. Bhardwaj informed the court that the authorities were showing no seriousness about stopping encroachers.

"Lodging a First Information Report in itself is not a solution but stern action by imposing exemplary damage has to be resorted to as encroachers are earning crores of rupees," he said.

The court directed that henceforth it would be obligatory for the office-bearers of the panchayats, being public servants, to report all cases of encroachments within their jurisdiction.

It asked the government to file a new status report with regard to encroachments on June 30 and listed the matter for next hearing on July 6.