Shimla: Take steps to regularize occupied land

Shimla: A delegation of the Seb Utpadak Sangh, led by president Rakesh Singha, today met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu regarding the issue of the eviction of farmers from occupied land. The Sangh said the state government should pass a resolution in the coming Assembly session, requesting the Centre to amend the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and allow the regularisation of the farmers’ occupied land.

The apple growers requested the government to file an affidavit in the High Court to stay the eviction proceedings, as was done in 2015 and 2019. Around 350 farmers participated in the meeting.

The delegation told Sukhu that following the High Court’s order, the eviction proceedings had begun against farmers occupying the land. The delegation claimed that most of these families were poor and had built houses or cultivated land to sustain themselves. The eviction proceedings had put the livelihood of thousands of families at risk, the delegation said.

The Chief Minister assured the delegation that he would take appropriate action and form a committee under the chairmanship of the Revenue and Law Minister to determine a policy for the regularisation of the occupied land. He also assured that the government would seek legal advice and intervene in the High Court, if necessary.

Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Education Minister Rohit Thakur and State Finance Commission Chairman Nand Lal were also present during the meeting.