CM relative drags state to court for contempt

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

Raja Shivdev Inder Singh, a close relative of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, has lodged a contempt of court case against the state government.

He has alleged non-adherence by the state to a Punjab and Haryana High Court order while extending a notification under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) to 15 villages on the periphery of Chandigarh.

A notice has been issued to Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh for July 23.

In the first week of February, the state Forest Department extended the notification under Section 4 of the Act to 21,944 acres in 15 villages falling in an ecologically sensitive area in the Shivalik foothills. The then Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) had issued the notification for 15 years.

The villages covered under the notification are Tarapur, Burana, Gocher, Majra, Sultanpur, Pallanpur, Dulwan, Siswan, Choti Bari Nagal, Parol, Majrian, Seonk, Parchh, Nada and Karoran.

The entire area that was under Section 4 ever since the previous notification was issued in 2003 has been included in the fresh notification too. This included 3,724.85 acres of Siswan village where the CM has bought land. The area de-listed under the PLPA in 2011 remains as such.

Following a previous petition filed by Raja Shivdev Inder Singh, the court in July 14, 2017, had directed the state not to reissue the notification “mechanically”, rather first identify forest and non-forest areas and compensate those whose land was brought under the ambit of the Act. The petitioner alleged the state did not undertake the exercise of identifying forest and non-forest areas in Ropar and Mohali districts.

The controversy over the PLPA notification hogged limelight after Chief Conservator of Forests (Hills) Harsh Kumar wrote to project developers stating that the Punjab Land Preservation Act notification would cease to exist in February, following which the IFS officer was transferred out by the Chief Secretary before his transfer was stayed by the Central Administrative Tribunal.

Row over land act

The complainant has alleged ‘non-adherence’ to HC orders while extending notification under the Punjab Land Preservation Act to 15 villages on Chandigarh’s periphery