The Supreme Court on Monday revived the demolition drive in the national Capital’s Asola village against illegal farmhouses and constructions on forest land by eminent persons, including politicians, corporate czars, judges, and film personalities.
A list of 40 encroachers sitting on forest/Gaon Sabha land was drawn up by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Saket) Ramchandra M Shingare following an order by the National Green Tribunal to demarcate forest area in the Southern Ridge area of the Capital. This area included the villages of Asola and Bhatti.
Using the help of a private agency, the administration demarcated forest land and discovered that over 100 acres of forest land in Asola, and 330 acres in Bhati were under the occupation of private farmhouses and religious establishments.
In addition, the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee overseeing encroachments in the Capital too sought a report on the extent of encroachment on land under Gaon Sabha, State or Central Government. Accordingly, public notices were issued to the defaulters and demolition action ensued.
Protesting against the demolition action, the defaulters under a common banner of Asola Bhati Residents Welfare Association approached the Supreme Court to stall the demolition. They were unhappy with the manner of demarcation and claimed they were not taken into confidence before preparing the report of demarcating forest land.
According to sources in the revenue department, the list of defaulters who have encroached on forest or Government land include private farmhouses owned by former Delhi l-G Tejinder Khanna, former Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala, former MP and sitting Minister in Uttarakhand Satpal Maharaj, owners of Ranbaxy Group, Sleepwell Mattresses, and in-laws of actor Shahid Kapoor.
A farmhouse owned by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court was also demarcated, but the judge in question has already moved out of the farmhouse, the sources added.
Massive encroachment has been done by institutions such as Radha Soami Satsang Beas and ISCKON Temple, who will face demolition action.
Dealing with the petition of Asola Bhati Residents Welfare Association, a Vacation Bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and Ashok Bhushan found no reason to hold up the demolition.
But since an earlier Vacation Bench had ordered status quo by which demolition came to a standstill, the Court decided to vacate the earlier order and directed the petitioners to approach the Delhi High Court for seeking remedy.
Interestingly, the Delhi High Court had on two previous occasions refused to entertain petitions filed by or on behalf of the defaulting residents of Asola and Bhati villages. For now, the administration has decided to continue with its action of restoring the encroached forest land as the NGT has allotted the Tribunal time till June 30 this year to pull up its socks and report compliance. In addition, the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee too is answerable to the apex court for action taken against illegal constructions on forest/Government land.