Amid mounting protests, CM Saini vows to present villagers’ case to SC
Amid mounting protests and growing public anger over the demolition of structures in Anangpur village under the Supreme Court’s Aravalli forest reclamation order, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has assured residents that their voices will be conveyed to the apex court.
Speaking in Gurugram after a meeting with village representatives and local leaders, CM Saini said, “The state government fully respects and honours the orders of the Supreme Court regarding Anangpur village in Faridabad district. Public representatives have met us. We, as a government, believe in building homes, not destroying them. We will be placing people’s sentiments before the Supreme Court through the Coordination Committee.”
The Chief Minister made these remarks following a meeting with Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar, former minister and Ballabhgarh MLA Mool Chand Sharma, NIT Faridabad MLA Satish Fagna, Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha and several Anangpur village dignitaries at the PWD Rest House in Gurugram.
The move comes in the wake of a joint mahapanchayat held in Anangpur on July 13, where villagers demanded an immediate halt to the demolitions and compensation for razed structures, citing their heritage and long-standing settlements.
The ongoing demolition drive stems from a 2022 Supreme Court order, which upheld that land under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) must be treated as forest land. The order was aimed at curbing illegal construction and enforcing provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act.
Despite the court’s clear directive, the state had taken limited action until recently, with around 30 structures razed in four Faridabad villages since the 2022 ruling.
A ground truthing survey by the state government in December 2023 revealed a staggering 6,793 unauthorised constructions on protected land in Anangpur, Ankhir, Lakkarpur and Mewla Maharajpur villages — of which 5,948 were in Anangpur alone. Many of these are farmhouses and banquet halls, built in violation of forest norms.
The 2022 ruling came in the Narinder Singh vs Divesh Bhutani case, which originated from appeals against a 2013 National Green Tribunal order restricting all non-forest activity on PLPA-notified lands.
Haryana Tribune