HC seeks complete statistics of encroachment cases on Govt land in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh High court on Wednesday ordered the state to provide complete statistics of encroachment cases on Govt land in the state  .

    A Division Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed these orders on a petition filed by one Tek Chand of District Chamba, who has alleged in the petition that the encroachment over the government land in Gram Panchayat Panjoi was started by a few miscreants which has now increased to over 50.
Petitioner stated that and few miscreants  have built houses or shops over the same and have also taken the electricity connection for these shops without submitting any requisite documents.  
He has further alleged that land of school has also been encroached and  illegal activities are going  on in and around the School in these shops, which is neither in the interest of the public nor the students studying therein.  
 He has alleged that he made several complaints against many persons and the eviction proceedings  were initiated against them but the proceedings are going on for years  without any action against the encroachers, who are still enjoying the profit from the encroached land.     
The petitioner has further alleged that he filed writ  petition and Contempt petition also in this behalf  and after passing of orders in the same, the respondent State has concluded the eviction proceeding and issued the eviction order against the encroachers, but has not yet dispossessed the encroachers from the government  land.
    He has prayed that the  State may be directed to comply the eviction orders issued by the respondent authorities and bring the eviction proceeding to its logical end.
    During the course of hearing, the affidavit of the Deputy Commissioner, Chamba was filed in this behalf, wherein he has  stated that eviction proceedings were initiated against 47 encroachers and eviction orders were passed against all of them. 
However, the eviction orders were executed against 26 persons only as  21 persons  filed  appeals before the Appellate Authority-cum-Divisional Commissioner, Kangra at Dharamshala and in these appeals and court stayed the eviction orders. 
He has stated that all these  matters have been fixed for 26 August .2021  and the application for vacation of interim orders and for early hearing would be filed before Appellate Authority within four days.
    The Additional Advocate General assured the compliance of Court orders  and also informed the Court that the question of issuing notices for damages for illegal occupation of the premises of the lands will also be considered by the Government by the next date.
The Court posted the matter after four week.