Taking cognisance of the report submitted by the high powered committee regarding encroachments by hotels and resorts around Corbett national park in Ramnagar, the high court on Monday directed owners of 28 hotels and resorts to remove the encroachments themselves in 24 hours.
The high powered committee formed on the orders of the high court for measuring the encroachments submitted its report on the survey of 33 such establishments. Hearing on 28 cases out of these, the high court directed the owners of the hotels and resorts to remove the reported encroachments within 24 hours.
It will be recalled that regarding the encroachments by such commercial enterprises around Corbett in Ramnagar, the high court had formed a high powered committee of four advocates headed by senior advocate BC Pande. This committee surveyed 33 of the 44 hotels and resorts in the said area and submitted its report to the court. It was stated that the petitioner had not made 11 of the hotels and resorts party in the case.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Himalayan Yuva Gramin Vikas Samiti had filed a public interest litigation in the high court. The head of the group, Mayank Mainali had stated in the petition that some resort owners in Ramnagar had blatantly violated the law and encroached upon the Kosi riverbed to make illegal constructions.
Such activities were also causing harm to the wildlife in the region.
Earlier in May, the chief secretary had submitted an affidavit in the high court stating that about 44 hotels and resorts had encroached on Government and forest land around the Corbett national park and were conducting their business on such locations.
Chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh had stated in his affidavit that during April the Nainital district magistrate had conducted a site inspection of resorts in Ramnagar and nearby locations which had revealed that 44 resorts had encroached upon Government land, forest land, barren land of the government and other types of land. Hearing on the case is slated to continue on Tuesday.