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Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Supreme Court orders restoration of forest land in Pune's Kondhwa area
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has ordered the restoration of 29 acres and 15 gunthas (one guntha is equal to 1,089 square feet) of reserved forest land in Pune's Kondhwa Budruk illegally allotted and diverted for construction purposes. The apex court in its ruling on Thursday declared the allotment and all subsequent transactions and developments on the land as void, citing a clear violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The verdict comes in response to a petition filed in 2007 by Nagrik Chetna Manch, a citizens' group. The petition challenged the 1998 allotment of the forest land to members of the Chavan family, which was later sold to Richie Rich Cooperative Housing Society (RRCHS) for a multi-storey residential project. The court found that the land had been notified as reserved forest in 1879 and remained so in official records. No valid de-reservation process had been undertaken after 1934. The apex court held that the diversion of forest land for non-forest use was illegal and stemmed from a nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, and builders, under the pretext of rehabilitation. In its order dated May 15, the Supreme Court noted that a recommendation by the divisional commissioner in 1994 acknowledged that the Chavan family was cultivating only three acres and 20 gunthas of the land. Despite this, he recommended allotment of the entire parcel and further opined that prior approval from the central government was not necessary—despite admitting that the land was classified as reserved forest. The then revenue minister justified the allotment on the grounds that the land had been continuously used for agriculture, claiming the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, did not apply. Following this, the collector issued an allotment order on August 28, 1998, with the condition that the land could only be used for agriculture and not transferred without prior approval. However, in October 1999, the divisional commissioner granted permission to the Chavan family to sell the land to Aniruddha P Deshpande, chief promoter, RRCHS, for residential development. Over the next few years, multiple permissions were granted—by the district collector in 2005, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 2006, and the ministry of environment and forests in 2007, which approved environmental clearance for 'Raheja Richmond Park' with buildings comprising residential, shopping, and offices, spaces for IT businesses. After the petition was filed, the Supreme Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to investigate the matter. During the proceedings, a 2024 CID (Criminal Investigation Department) report revealed that land records submitted to the court from the Bombay Archives claiming de-reservation were fabricated. After reviewing the CEC's findings and hearing both sides, the court directed cancellation of the original allotment and all transactions with RRCHS. It further ordered restoration of the land to the forest department and recommended prosecution of those involved—including the then revenue minister, the divisional commissioner, and other officials. The court also called for a special investigation team (SIT) to examine similar cases of forest land allotment in Pune district. Environmental experts have hailed the verdict as a significant precedent for forest conservation and enforcement of environmental laws. It reinforces the doctrine of public trust and the primacy of the Forest (Conservation) Act. 'This is a significant judgment by the Supreme Court—not only for Pune or Maharashtra, but for the entire country,' said Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests, Pune Forest Department. 'Forest land across India currently under revenue department control will now be eligible for return to forest departments. In Maharashtra alone, nearly 1.5 lakh hectares of forest land is with the revenue department. In Pune district, it's around 14,000 hectares. The verdict paves the way for reclaiming those lands and bringing them under afforestation and related activities,' he said.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SC nixes Maha's 1998 allotment of Rs 200 crore forest land for Rs 2 crore
NEW DELHI: SC Thursday cancelled Maharashtra govt's illegal allotment of 30 acres of reserved forest land in Pune , valued at more than Rs 200 crore, for just Rs 2 crore to Richie Rich Cooperative Housing Society (RRCH) in 1998-99, and pinned the blame on then revenue minister, divisional commissioner and builder Aniruddha P Deshpande. Importantly, a bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices A G Masih and K Vinod Chandran ruled that allotment of reserve forest land to private individuals or institutions for non-forestry purposes after Dec 12, 1996, the date on which it was banned by SC, is illegal, and directed states and UTs to take them back and use them for afforestation. This direction could create ripples across states and for allottees who have manipulated rules to get forest lands. SC said, 'This is a classic example as to how the nexus between the politicians, bureaucrats and builders can result in the conversion of precious forest land for commercial purposes under the garb of resettlement of people belonging to the backward class from whose ancestors, agricultural land was acquired for public purpose.' Writing the judgment, CJI Gavai said, 'We hold that the allotment of 11.89 ha (30 acres) of reserve forest land in Survey No.21, Kondhwa Budruk in district Pune for agriculture purposes on Aug 28, 1998, and subsequent permission given for its sale in favour of RRCHS on Oct 30, 1999, was totally illegal.' It also quashed the Union forest ministry's July 2007 clearance to the project terming it illegal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Xu hướng tủ lạnh 2025: Chọn lựa thông minh với giá cả hợp lý southermore Tìm Ngay Undo 'We direct that the possession of the subject land, which is reserved as a forest land, but is in possession of the revenue department, should be handed over to the forest department within a period of three months,' the bench said. While adjudicating this case, SC noticed that vast stretches of notified forest land continue to be in possession of revenue departments.
