JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court issued notice to the chief secretary, principal secretary, forest, revenue and others over 441 hectares of forest land at village Dubbi Bidarkhya, Sawai Madhopur being transferred to RIICO for industrial purpose. The respondents have been asked to reply by April 6.
The division bench of Justice Sabina and C K Songara issued the notice on a Public Interest Litigation by Badrilal Meena and Prabhu Lal Meena, retired public servants of village Dubbi Bidarkhya regarding transfer of forest land illegally for industrial purpose.
Counsel for petitioners A K Jain argued that since 1963, the land is treated as forest land and forest department has invested a lot of money for fencing, establishment of chowkis and trenches over the land. Even in 1996, district collector Sawai Madhopur set aside the land for forest resurrection. However, the land in 2015 has been allotted to RIICO for industrial purpose.
Even the forest department has regularly objected to the same and categorically stated that the land belongs to forest as per the directions of Supreme Court in P N Goda Varman’s case and the land cannot be used for any other purpose except forest. But the state government acted arbitrarily in violation of Supreme Court order. The HC, after hearing the counsel, has sought explanation by way of show-cause notice to chief secretary, principal secretary, revenue and forest, and district collector of Sawai Madhopur, who allotted land to RIICO.