The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has sought an affidavit from the Haryana government asking why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against the officer concerned for failure to provide necessary infrastructure to carry out settlement activity in the Morni Hills area.
The order was passed as a government counsel took a stand before the court that it was “not necessary”.
“The oral stand taken by counsel for the state of Haryana is that a direction was issued vide order dated January 17, 2025, which is not necessary. Prima facie, the stand is in defiance of the order passed by this court. State to file an affidavit as to why contempt proceedings be not initiated against the said competent authority,” the court observed in a recent hearing seeking a response by March 5.
On January 17, the court had directed that the settlement officer would provide a list of required infrastructure, personnel and apparatus necessary for carrying out the settlement activities at the spot within three days and the state would provide the same and report it on an affidavit on the next date of hearing.
The court was hearing a plea from one Vijay Bansal, a resident of Panchkula who in 2017 had approached the court stating that the Punjab Land Preservation Act was enacted to save the Shivalik area from land erosion and most of the land of the Morni Hills area is notified under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Act. The land has become forestland in view of an apex court judgment. It further stated that in 1987, the government had appointed the then sub-divisional officer (civil), Kalka, as settlement officer, but settlement has not been completed to date in spite of spending of ₹1.64 crore on salary and allowances. Hence, the government be directed to conduct the settlement in a time-bound manner.
{{/usCountry}}The court was hearing a plea from one Vijay Bansal, a resident of Panchkula who in 2017 had approached the court stating that the Punjab Land Preservation Act was enacted to save the Shivalik area from land erosion and most of the land of the Morni Hills area is notified under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Act. The land has become forestland in view of an apex court judgment. It further stated that in 1987, the government had appointed the then sub-divisional officer (civil), Kalka, as settlement officer, but settlement has not been completed to date in spite of spending of ₹1.64 crore on salary and allowances. Hence, the government be directed to conduct the settlement in a time-bound manner.
{{/usCountry}}A major tourist attraction point, the area has been seeing unplanned growth for years together, posing ecological challenges. The area also saw widespread damage to government infrastructure and in villages, due to incessant rains reported in 2017. Locals have been blaming flooding and other ecological damages on unplanned and illegal construction activity in the area.