Govt told to form SIT against SADA officials

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, June 27 

The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the state government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) under a senior police officer to register an FIR against officials of the Doon Special Area Development Authority (SADA) under whose watch allegedly unauthorised construction and illegal felling of trees had taken place in and around Dehradun. 

The court of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Lok Pal Singh also made recommendations for making suitable law for regulating the house construction within three months. 

A petitioner in a writ petition had stated that large-scale commercial plots were carved out from the agricultural land/orchard in violation of the UP Protection of Trees in Rural and Hill Areas Act, 1976, in the area falling under the “Doon SADA”, particularly near Herbertpur, Vikas Nagar and in close proximity of the city. 

The petitioner had sought action against the persons who had indulged in these acts. 

In their judgment, judges also observed that the state government had not taken any action so far to check the mushrooming unregulated societies throughout the state.