Illegal tree felling in McLeodganj: High court directs officials to appear in court

The Himachal Pradesh high court on Monday directed the secretary (forests), principal chief conservator of forests and the conservator of forests, Kangra, to appear before it on June 2 in a matter pertaining to felling of a large number of deodar trees in McLeodganj for commercial activities.

A division bench comprising chief justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu by the court as public interest litigation on a letter written to the chief justice by one Ghazala Abdullah.

The petitioner has alleged a large number of deodar trees were being felled in McLeodganj in Dharamsala for the purpose of commercial activities and when she approached the police, district administration, forest and panchayat authorities, no action was taken. The court directed the respondents to file a report on the damage caused and listed the matter for June 2.