State offers 3 month protection for buildings on forest land
The Maharashtra government has offered a three-month breather to houses built on ‘forest land’.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has offered a three-month breather to houses built on ���forest land���. Making its stand clear before the Bombay High Court, the state government on Wednesday said that it would not take further action with regard to land declared as ���private forests��� for three months.
This means all those aggrieved by the high court���s decision on March 24, that upheld the state government���s claim on over 1,000 acres in north Mumbai suburbs, would get time to file appeal before the Supreme Court. The HC decision has rattled lakhs of people staying in buildings allegedly built on ���forest land���. Though the court order didn���t imply any immediate action, the fear of being declared their houses unauthorised had sent a panic across Mumbai���s suburbs.
What���s interesting is the government���s silence on what it intends to do after the self-imposed three-month moratorium is over.
The HC has refused to grant some of the petitioners��� prayer that they be allowed to complete ongoing constructions on the lands in their possession, government pleader Nitin Deshpande said. The state government has declared these lands - most of them in the possession of builders - as private forests, on the basis of notice issued in 1956-57. Revenue authorities started making actual changes in land records, showing the lands as forest land, only in the past two years.
This was challenged by a bunch of petitions, but division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice SC Dharmadhikari upheld the government���s stand in the judgement on March 24. The decision affects thousands of buildings that have come up in Kandivali, Borivali, Mulund and Thane. Builders and house owners alike had reacted sharply against the government���s intention to undo its 25-year-old act.
This means all those aggrieved by the high court���s decision on March 24, that upheld the state government���s claim on over 1,000 acres in north Mumbai suburbs, would get time to file appeal before the Supreme Court. The HC decision has rattled lakhs of people staying in buildings allegedly built on ���forest land���. Though the court order didn���t imply any immediate action, the fear of being declared their houses unauthorised had sent a panic across Mumbai���s suburbs.
What���s interesting is the government���s silence on what it intends to do after the self-imposed three-month moratorium is over.
The HC has refused to grant some of the petitioners��� prayer that they be allowed to complete ongoing constructions on the lands in their possession, government pleader Nitin Deshpande said. The state government has declared these lands - most of them in the possession of builders - as private forests, on the basis of notice issued in 1956-57. Revenue authorities started making actual changes in land records, showing the lands as forest land, only in the past two years.
This was challenged by a bunch of petitions, but division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice SC Dharmadhikari upheld the government���s stand in the judgement on March 24. The decision affects thousands of buildings that have come up in Kandivali, Borivali, Mulund and Thane. Builders and house owners alike had reacted sharply against the government���s intention to undo its 25-year-old act.
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