IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Inderjeet Singh, J.
Yogesh S/o Gopi Lal Nath – Petitioner
Versus
The State of Rajasthan, Through Chief Secretary – Respondent
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1720 of 2022
Decided On : 05-02-2022
Constitution of India,1950 - Encroachments with a specially designated Public Land Protection Cell - Removal of the encroachments and appropriate penal - allegations are found to be substantiated, appropriate steps in accordance with law be immediately taken for removal of the encroachments and appropriate penal action be also taken against trespassers - Complaints/representations received in PLPC should be decided by passing speaking order, informing respective complainant/representationist about action taken obviate the necessity of such complainants/ representationists approaching this Court directly by way of public interest litigation - If this practice is put in place, this Court would not be inclined to directly entertain such public interest litigation or would do so only in event of inaction on part of concerned PLPC – Held, Duration of the illegal encroachment/occupation of land or huge expenditure in making construction thereon or political connections of trespassers are no justification for regularising such illegal occupation. Regularisation should be permitted only in exceptional cases where lease has been granted under some government notification e.g. to landless labourers or members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes or where there is already a school, hospital, dispensary other public utility of like nature on land - Observations of the Supreme Court leaves no manner of doubt that removal of encroachment on all such land is a rule and regularisation an exception and that too in extremely limited number of cases, which only the Government can do by appropriate notification of government and no other authority - Representation/application before the Public Land Protection Cell/District Collector-Tonk with regard to encroachments of which reference has been made in the present writ petition – Ordered Accordingly.
JUDGMENT :
1. The Hon'ble Division Bench of this Court in D.B. Civil Writ Petition (P.I.L.) No.10819/2018-Jagdish Prasad Meena & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. Vide order dated 30.01.2019 has directed as under :-
The PLPC aforementioned shall also keep in view the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in Jagpal Singh & Others v. State of Punjab & Others, (2011) 11 SCC 396 wherein all the State Governments of the country were directed that they should prepare schemes for eviction of illegal/unauthorised occupants of the Gram Sabha/Gram Panchayat/Poramboke/ Shamlat land and the same must be restored to the Gram Sabha/Gram Panchayat for the common use of villagers of the village. The said scheme should provide for the speedy eviction of such illegal occupants, after giving them a show cause notice and a brief hearing. It was further held therein that long duration of the illegal encroachment/occupation of land or huge expenditure in making construction thereon or political connections of trespassers are no justification for regularising such illegal occupation. Regularisation should be permitted only in exceptional cases where lease has been granted under some government notification e.g. to landless labourers or members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes or where there is already a school, hospital, dispensary, 'shamshan', 'kabristan' or other public utility of the like nature on the land. Observations of the Supreme Court in Jagpal Singh (supra) thus leaves no manner of doubt that removal of encroachment on all such land is a rule and regularisation an exception and that too in extremely limited number of cases, which only the Government can do by appropriate notification of the government and no other authority.
List this matter on 14.03.2019.
A copy of this order be sent to the Chief Secretary of the State of Rajasthan, Government Secretariat, Jaipur, who shall ensure compliance of this order and do the needful for creation of Public Land Protection Cell (PLPC) for rural areas."
2. After arguing for sometime, counsel for the petitioner in the light of the directions contained in the matter of Jagdish Prasad Meena (supra) wants to withdraw this petition with liberty to file representation/application before the Public Land Protection Cell/District Collector-Tonk with regard to the encroachments of which reference has been made in the present writ petition. On doing
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