Conflicting claims were raised by the collector and the forest department
Madras High Court. (Photo: DC/File)
Chennai: Pointing out the conflicting claims made by state government authorities in respect of a land in Dindigul district, the Madras high court observed that the state government must speak in one voice.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan posted to August 12 further hearing of the contempt petition filed by A.R. Gokulakrishnan.
Originally, Gokulakrishnan filed a petition alleging that R. Ambalavanan, an IA & IS officer, had encroached vast extent of forest land in Poolathur village in Dindigul district and a division bench on September 5, 2013, had directed the Dindigul collector to remove all the encroachments in S.No.671/2 in Poolathur village and hand it over to the conservator of forests, Dindigul, who shall send a proposal to the competent authority for declaring the area as forest land.
Contending that the authorities had failed to comply with this order, Gokulakrishnan filed the present contempt petition.
When the petition came up for hearing on Friday, government pleader S.T.S. Moorthy submitted that it was government poromboke land. However, the counsel appearing for the state forest department submitted that it belongs to the forest department.
The bench said conflicting claims were sought to be raised by the collector and the forest department, both parties under the state government.
The state government must speak in one voice. “To face the conflicting position, we are inclined to summon the chief secretary to find a way out. But the government pleader sought time to place a non-conflicting stand before this court,” the bench added, and posted to August 12, further hearing of the case.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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