FIR against MLA, ex-shimla mayor for obstructing drive
SHIMLA: Lone Communist Party of India (M) legislator Rakesh Singha and former Shimla municipal corporation (MC) mayor Sanjay Chauhan have been booked for obstructing government officials from discharging their duties.
Singha and Chauhan led a procession at Jubbal town in Shimla district on Monday, in protest against a special investigation team (SIT), working to raze apple orchards.
The government had constituted the SIT after court directions to remove encroachments on government land. Left leaders were protesting as they claimed that the SIT had chopped apple trees on private land too during the drive.
Apart from Singha and Chauhan, 55 others who were inside naib the tehsildhar’s office has have also been booked under Section 143 (unlawful assembly), 142 (being member of unlawful assembly) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Farmers under Kisan Jameen Bachao Sangarsh Samiti also staged a protest in Jubbal on Monday. Accompanied by local farmers and apple grower, Chauhan and Singha staged a sit-in in the office of the naib tehsildhar.
The leaders alleged that the SIT was chopping apple trees without even giving the growers a chance to put forward their say to the forest authorities.
Two farmers, Gian Chand and Sihan Lal,z of Badhal village in Jubbal tehsil also lodged a complaint against divisional forest officer, Rohru and naib tehsildhar. Both claimed in the compliant that the government had allotted them the land under the landless scheme.
“Farmers are running from pillar to post to save their orchards on private land. No government official is ready to listen
Farmers are running from pillar to post to save their orchards on private land. No govt official is ready to listen to their grievances. SANJAY CHAUHAN, former mayor
to their grievances,” said Chauhan.
“The government should intervene immediately to stop the unlawful demolition drive, he said, adding that the government should hand over a list of encroachers to forest officials so that the violators are verified in a proper manner. He also said that the government should regularise farmlands under Section 163 A of the Land Revenue Act 1954.