SC STAYS ORDER TO EVICT FOREST DWELLERS

1.2mn to benefit; states to explain how claims were decided

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold its own February 13 order for the eviction of 1 million tribespeople and others who allegedly encroached on forest lands, rebuking the central government for waking up from “slumber” after so long.

A bench led by justice Arun Mishra kept its order in abeyance until July 10, the next date of hearing on the matter, and directed 19 states to file affidavits detailing the number of people whose claims for the right to live in forests had been rejected and the process adopted for rejecting them.

To be filed by chief secretaries of the state governments, the affidavits must also specify the law under which the eviction orders had been passed and whether the claimants had been informed about the orders or not. The court also wants to know if there is any appellate authority the claimants can approach for challenging the

claim rejections.

“You go into a slumber all the while and after we pass an order you are now seeking modification of the order,” justice Mishra told solicitor general Tushar Mehta during the hearing.

Mehta admitted to a lapse on the part of the Centre, which had

movedanapplicationonWednesday requesting the court to stay the implementation of its February order.

“There was an absence of assistance from our side... this is a human problem and not a legal issue. These are poor people,” Mehta said.