Include DLSA members in panel hearing claims of people living in forest areas: Uttarakhand HC

Nainital, Dec 5 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court directed the state government to include members of the District Legal Services Authority in a committee formed to relocate people from a remote village here who have filed a PIL over lack of basic facilities such as electricity and water.

The division bench of Chief Justice G Narendra and Subhash Upadhyay directed that incusion of DLSA members would ensure that they may receive land leases under the Forest Rights Act and be provided with basic amenities.

The committee was constituted to hear the claims and rights of people residing in forest areas.

Earlier, the court had asked about the decision of state government so far on the recommendations made by the committee formed in 2014 for the relocation of people living in the area.

The Independent Media Society filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the high court, stating that villagers living in Sunderkhal of Nainital district since 1975 lack basic facilities like electricity, water, health, and education.

Due to this, the villagers of Sunderkhal have been demanding relocation for many years.

In 2014, the government constituted a committee and decided to relocate them. Despite this, the villagers have neither been relocated to date nor provided essential basic facilities. The area they live in falls under a highly remote region. PTI COR SKY SKY