SC raps Haryana state officials over failure in evicting encroached forest land

The court also ordered the state authorities to file a compliance report signed by the Chief Executive officer and secretary of state forest department following the eviction procedures. Although the court had passed an order in 2020 directing the residents to vacate the land, all of the residents have not cleared out. Reiterating its order, the court lashed said that there can be no compromise with the forest land.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered the Faridabad Municipal Corporation in Haryana to evict residents of nearly 10,000 houses at an encroached forest land at Khori Gaon near Faridabad. The court also ordered the state authorities to file a compliance report signed by the Chief Executive officer and secretary of state forest department following the eviction procedures. Although the court had passed an order in 2020 directing the residents to vacate the land, all of the residents have not cleared out. Reiterating its order, the court lashed said that there can be no compromise with the forest land.

"The policy regarding their rehabilitation is the state's concern and it can be considered only when they comply with the order first," said the bench comprising of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari. "We passed interim orders in 2020 because it is an encroachment on forest land and it has to be vacated, if in the future state wants to rehabilitate you that is not on us.

In fact, we will ask the corporation now that why since one year of order nothing has been done, the corporation should have not waited one year," said the court. The bench was hearing a petition seeking a stay on the demolition of houses that are located on the forest land. The residents in their petition claimed that they have been dwelling on the land since 1980. However, the court has observed that most of the residents do not have any proof of existence.

Court ordered that Faridabad SP will be personally responsible for providing security to Corporation officials while evicting the land. The court added that if it notes encroachment after the submission of the report signed by the CEO and Secretary, the signing officials will be hauled up for contempt. The court said that it will verify the position and won't rely on CEO as they have seen how the matter has been dealt with till now. Court warned that this time they have summoned just the secretary but it can summon the Chief secretary of state next time.