C'garh HC stays allotment of forest land titles for two months

The Chhattisgarh High Court on Friday stayed allotment of titles of forest lands in the state for two months.

A division bench of Chief Justice P R Ramchandra Menon and Justice P P Sahu was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Nitin Singhvi, an environment activist, alleging allotment of titles to ineligible claimants.

The high court issued notices to 12 respondents, including the Centre and the state government, seeking replies in four weeks, said petitioner's lawyer Saurabh Dangi.

Singhvi had sought court's intervention to stop "illegal" distribution of titles under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and "illegal" reconsideration of rejected claims.

He contended that ineligible or bogus claimants are being granted forest rights certificates, in some cases even in national parks and sanctuaries.

Claims are being considered without ascertaining whether the person was living in the forest prior to December 13, 2005 (as required under the Act), the PIL said.

In Kawardha forest division, of 21,122.197 hectares of forest land, 1,948.790 hectares (9.23 per cent) land has been encroached upon by villagers who claim allotment under the Forest Rights Act, the petitioner said.