Forest encroachers creating gun terror : High Court issues notice

Himachal Pradesh Forest Wealth are squeezing fast as forest encroachers and greedy people are bullying honest citizen by keeping them on gun points. This was alleged by a petitioner who filled a PIL in the Himachal Pradesh High court to seek justice as forest and administration showed lukewarm response to his complaint. Now High Court has taken strict cognizance of the illegal occupation of government land in the said matter issuing notice to defendant state and forest department.  The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sabina and Justice Satyen Vaidya issued notices to the Principal Secretary of the Forest Department and other respondents during the preliminary hearing of a PIL filed by Theog resident Ramesh Thakur.  The court has summoned reply from all the defendants within 21 days.  The petition states that the defendants Roshan Lal, Dhani Ram and Chetram are in illegal occupation of government land in village Sharmaltu.  Dhaniram and Chetram have axed thirty green trees from the government land. The stumps of tender trees was used to raise fence on the encroached land.  Taking sterns action on basis of documentary evidences placed before the courts by petitioner court  also passed an eviction orders against one Chet Ram. The Court had made very harsh observation against state forest department that green feeling and encroachment happened in connivance of Forest Department officials as encroachers are still in the illegal possession. The allegation is that the private defendants are threatening the local people because they are having gun licenses. No one dare to complain against the bullies encroachers ad they  creating terror among honest people by almost keeping in gun points for making fuss. Petitioner contended that it was out of fear that neither local forest officials nor local lodge complaint. The court has informed that the applicant had complained about this to the forest and police officers, but no action was taken against them. The applicant has demanded to pass an appropriate eviction order regarding the release of illegal encroachment of government land. Complaint also impleaded  Principal Secretary Forest, Chief Conservator, Block Forest Officer, Forest Guard Shamrala, Deputy Commissioner and SP Shimla, SHO Theog, Roshan Lal, Dhani Ram and Chet Ram party. The matter would be listed for next after hearing after 21 days or three week.It is not solitary incidence of relentless green felling in the state forest department have number of complaint about green felling on private and forests lands in the state. During previous BJP government a Prime Forest witnessed blatant green felling in Shilonbag forest near Tourist resort Kufri.