Supreme Court panel summons senior officials over encroachments on Chandigarh periphery

The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee has summoned the Punjab Chief Secretary and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests regarding allegations of encroachment and illegal commercial activities on land delisted from forest status near Chandigarh.

The officials appeared before the committee in Delhi, with the next hearing set for next month. A status report from the Forest and Revenue Departments, including the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali, is expected.

The complaint primarily involves the violation of Supreme Court orders regarding the removal of illegal encroachments by Forest Hill Resorts and Golf Country Resorts. The petitioner claims that these developments, including farmhouses, a resort, and other commercial activities, contravene the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) of 1900 and the Forest Conservation Act. Furthermore, it alleges continuous violations of conditions set by the Ministry of Environment and the Supreme Court, including unauthorised commercial use, such as hosting weddings and parties, on land designated for limited golf course use.

Of the resort’s 85.68 acres, 44.57 acres remain protected under the PLPA. In Karoran village, 588 acres of the 2,870 acres of village common land were allegedly cleared of natural forest for commercial use.

Devinder Singh Sandhu, owner of the resort, said there was no truth in the complaint and the entire issue was in the knowledge of the relevant courts. All activities were being done as per the existing laws and permissions, he added.

The Punjab Forest Department has also raised concerns about widespread construction around Chandigarh, flagging areas in several villages — Mirzapur, Jyanti Majri, Karoran, Bharonjian, Siswan, and Nada — where farmhouses and plots are being illegally built on delisted forest land.

These areas, previously classified as forests, now fall under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. The department noted that such construction violates Supreme Court guidelines and the PLPA, particularly since they border protected forest areas where building activities are prohibited.