The Bombay High Court has said it expects the High-Power Committee to formulate measures finally and shall also take necessary decisions and steps required for rehabilitating the residents of Sanjay Gandhi National Park who are entitled to be rehabilitated.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a society comprising of certain residents in Sanjay Gandhi National Park seeks rehabilitation of its members in terms of certain directions issued by the High Court earlier in PIL of 1995.
The Court, in the said PIL petition had given certain directions for rehabilitating these residents.
On the Court request, Dr Birendra Saraf, Advocate General, has addressed the Court and informs that those, who are covered by the said decision of the Court and have also made requisite deposits, are entitled to be rehabilitated and in past, though various steps were taken for construction of the residential tenements to rehabilitate these residents, however, they, for various reasons, could not be fructified except for rehabilitation of some 11,000-odd residents.
Dr Saraf further informed the Court that to expedite the process of rehabilitation, the Government, way back in July 2023, has formed a High-Power Committee headed by none other than the Forest Minister of the State Government to evolve the measures to be implemented for rehabilitating the members of petitioner society and other residents who are so entitled.
“As informed, the High-Power Committee was constituted about a year ago, however, it appears that no concrete steps, for rehabilitating the entitled residents, have yet been taken.”
The Court may emphasize, at this juncture, that rehabilitating these residents will serve two purposes, namely,
(i) those who are entitled will be rehabilitated and
(ii) the forest area will be cleared of unauthorized encroachment.
Encroachment, as we understand, is causing a lot of difficulties to the forest authorities to maintain its very character and hence, it is most expedient for the State Government to come-forth with a scheme, urgently, to rehabilitate those who are entitled, the Bench observed.
The Court, thus, requested the Advocate General that he shall use his good offices and coordinate with the High-Power Committee headed by the Forest Minister to work out a solution at the earliest. Matter is listed on September 23, 2024 (High on Board) by the High Court.