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2022 Supreme(Raj) 1655

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
Sandeep Mehta, Kuldeep Mathur, JJ.
Hari Ram – Appellant
Versus
State Of Rajasthan – Respondent
D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9470/2022
Decided On : 11-07-2022

Advocates appeared:
Arjun Singh Rathore, Advocate, for the Appellant

The court emphasized the need for a permanent mechanism to address encroachment issues and directed the petitioner to follow the process established by the court in a similar case.

Headnote:

Encroachment - Public Interest Litigation - The court directed the petitioner to submit a representation to the District Collector, who shall assign the matter to the Public Land Protection Cell (PLPC) constituted under the directions of the court. The PLPC shall conduct a thorough enquiry into the representation and decide the same within a period of four months from the date of submission thereof.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner filed a writ petition (PIL) seeking the removal of illegal encroachment on specific land and the protection and development of the entire Aagore land of a village.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the petitioner has a suitable remedy for ventilating his grievances through the Division Bench Judgment of the court in a similar case, which directed the Chief Secretary of the State to devise a permanent mechanism for addressing encroachment issues.

Issues: Illegal encroachment, failure of authorities to take action, protection and development of village land.

Ratio Decidendi: The court directed the petitioner to submit a representation to the District Collector, who shall assign the matter to the Public Land Protection Cell (PLPC) and conduct a thorough enquiry into the representation in accordance with the directions given by the court in a similar case.

Final Decision: The writ petition is disposed of with the direction for the petitioner to submit a representation to the District Collector and for the PLPC to decide the matter within four months.

JUDGMENT

1. The petitioner has approached this Court by way of this writ petition (PIL) with the following prayers:-

      "a) That the respondents may kindly be directed to remove the entire illegal encroachment made by the encroachers on the "land in question" i.e. the land falling in khasra no. 736 and 739 of revenue village Roodiya, Tehsil Bhopalgarh District Jodhpur (Raj.) and the respondents may further be directed to take legal action against the encroachers and the authorities who have not taken concert steps for removal of this encroachment even after due representations and objections by the petitioner.

      The respondents may further be directed to protect and develop the entire Aagore land of the abovementioned village by taking necessary action well within time so it cannot be encroached and damaged again by the encroachers."

      2. Having heard and considered the submissions advanced by counsel representing the petitioner and, having gone through the material available on record, we are of the firm view that the petitioner has available to him a suitable remedy for ventilating his grievances by virtue of the Division Bench Judgment of this Court in the case of Jagdish Prasad Meena & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. passed in D.B. Civil Writ Petition (PIL) No. 10819/2018 decided on 30.01.2019 wherein this Court directed as below:-

          "This Court is inundated with large number of writ petitions, styled as public interest litigation, from almost all the Districts of the State, with allegations of encroachment over the pasture land/land of 'johad', 'talab'/river/river bed/public way/Shamshan/Kabristan etc. In all such petitions, common allegation is that despite repeated complaints/representations to the concerned revenue officers, no steps are taken by them to remove the encroachment. This results in number of writ petitions being filed by the complainants/representationists before this Court. This Court has been passing orders in such matters requiring the respective District Collectors to examine the factual content of the allegations and take steps to remove the encroachments so as to secure such land.

          In order therefore to provide a pan-Rajasthan solution to this ever persisting problem, we deem it appropriate to direct the Chief Secretary of the State to devise a permanent mechanism, which should be operational in every District of the State where the concerned District Collector should be required to periodically notify for the information of the general public to lodge the complaints/representations with regard to such encroachments with a specially designated Public Land Protection Cell (for short 'PLPC') for rural areas. The PLPC should be headed by District Collector and function under his direction and supervision. The PLPC shall get such complaints/representations enquired into by deputing concerned Sub Divisional Officer/Tehsildar/Naib Tehsildar so as to verify whether or not such encroachments have actually taken place on such land. If the 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 the trespassers. The complaints/representations received in the PLPC should be decided by passing speaking order, informing the respective complainant/representationist about the action taken. This would 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 the event of inaction on the part of the concerned PLPC. 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 il

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