Uttarakhand HC seeks clarity on forest dept’s road ownership claim

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday heard a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the closure of a decades-old road used by residents of Salbhoji and nearby villages in Khatima, in Udham Singh Nagar, after the forest department claimed ownership of the route.Following the hearing, a division bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay directed the state govt to file its response within four weeks. The court also instructed the govt to clarify its stand in light of the documents submitted with the PIL.According to the petition, resident Naresh Kumar stated that villagers had been using the road since 1959 and that it was recorded in gram sabha revenue records. The petition alleged that the forest department was now claiming ownership of the land and shutting the road, which residents said was their only access route.During the hearing, counsel for the state govt argued that the land belonged to the forest division, which was now seeking to take possession of it -- a move being opposed by residents.The court, however, observed that the records attached to the PIL had also been issued by the govt itself, and questioned how the state could simultaneously claim the land belonged to the forest division. It directed the govt to clarify its position on the issue.