The High Court heard a PIL filed for the demand that the tombs, mosques etc. built in forest land should be surveyed before their demolition. A division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal dismissed the petitions demanding survey and challenging the notice to Mazar in Kaladhungi, Jaspur including Vikas Nagar in Dehradun.
The court also dismissed the petition challenging the notice issued on May 8 to the tomb built in the Ramgarh range of Rajaji National Park. Tafazzul Hussain Ansari, a resident of Nainital district and others filed a PIL saying that the state government is demolishing Waqf properties in the name of encroachment without surveying them, while the Supreme Court had in 2009 directed to survey Waqf properties and frame rules. The High Court made rules in 2016 but the government is violating its own rules.
In the petition, the survey of the Waqf properties in the state has not yet been done and the government has demolished more than one thousand tombs and mosques, which should be banned and for the survey of the Waqf properties and to re-establish the tombs that have been broken so far There was a demand to direct the government. On behalf of the government, Chief Standing Counsel Chandrashekhar Rawat told the court that these shrines were built by encroachment on forest land. The petitioners do not have any valid documents. After hearing both the sides, the court dismissed the petitions.
Government will not disturb families living in forest land for years:
On the other hand, under the ongoing campaign to make government land encroachment free, the families living in Goth, Khatte, Vanagram and Tongia villages located in forest land will not be disturbed. Clarifying the situation regarding the campaign in a conversation with the media, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a clear guideline has been fixed regarding the removal of encroachments. He said that those who have encroached on forest land in the last few years or have erected some symbols under religious guise, all of them have been taken under the ambit of encroachment. It is not the intention of the government to harass anyone.
Apart from Khattas, Togia villages, forest villages located on forest land in Terai and Bhabar region, the people who have been living in Goth and Van Panchayats at various places for years were also apprehensive about coming under the encroachment campaign. A large number of these families are those who have been living there for several generations. They have also been demanding to give ownership rights on the land for a long time. Now the Chief Minister has made it clear that regarding the removal of encroachment campaign, the Chief Secretary has been directed to make arrangements properly.
The Chief Minister said that those who have encroached on forest land or erected symbols in the guise of religious places in the last few years, they are being removed. Apart from this, it is the job of the government to verify, investigate properly and remove wherever demographic changes have taken place. He said that it is not our intention to disturb those who have been living in Goths, Khattes, Van Grams and Van Panchayats for years. Whoever will do such activities, they are being monitored. The officials have been told that no one should face any problem with this campaign.
