Kotkhai officials given more time to verify illegal constructions

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, May 16

The HP High Court on Wednesday granted two weeks more time to revenue officials of Kotkhai for the proper verification of encroached land at Chaithala village. 

The court also granted time to private respondents to file their affidavits clarifying the status of the extent of encroached government land in their possession. 

A Division Bench comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Chander Bhusan Barowalia passed this order on a petition taken up suo motu by the court as public interest litigation on a letter to the 

Chief Justice by a resident of Chaithala village in Shimla district alleging that around 40 residents of Chaithala village 

had raised apple orchards on 500 bighas of government land. 

It was further alleged in the petition that they had felled deodar trees on the government land and raised orchards. Some of them had even availed financial help from the government for constructing apple grading and packing house and water storage tanks. 

The petitioner also alleged that the government had provided electricity and water connections to the encroachers.

In its earlier order the court had directed the Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, to depute four revenue officers for demarcating forest land in the Kotkhai area.