Order on forest land issue PIL reserved for next week

Mumbai, June 14 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today reserved its order till next week on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by BJP leader and activist, Dr Kirit Somaiya, on the issue of declaration of private developed land adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNK) and other areas as forest land by the government under various Forest Acts.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kshitij Vyas and Justice Abhay Oka reserved the order for next week after the petitioner brought to the court's notice that no proceeding had been initiated against the property holders from 1957 after the implementation of the Maharashtra Private Forest Land Act of 1975.

Over a lakh residents would be affected if the said Act was implemented now, Mr Somaiya submitted in the petition. If the decision is implemented, housing societies, part of BARC, 200 acres of the Film City, 2,000 acres under Ghodbunder Road and others would be affected.

The base for declaring the lands as forest lands now after almost 50 years was also raised by the petitioner's counsel.

However, Advocate General Ravi Kadam submitted that the remedy for the issue was provided within the Acts themselves.

UNI ARM KU MSJ BD2217