(a) whether the Government has received complaints that a Forest Hill Resort has come up in Punjab on forest land in violation of laws under the Forest Conservation Act;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action proposed/taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)
(a), (b) and (c) Yes Sir, the State Government of Punjab had received complaints about construction of a Forest Hill Resort in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and penal action was initiated accordingly. Meanwhile, violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 was taken note of by the Hon`ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana as a Writ Petition. The Hon`ble High Court later passed order on 12.10.2004 directing demolition of the said Resort. The proprietor of the Resort filed a Special Leave Petition in the Hon`ble Supreme Court of India against the said order of Hon`ble High Court. The Ministry of Environment and Forests also being one of the respondents in the said Special Leave Petition has filed an affidavit in the matter stating that the construction of Forest Hill Resort is in violation of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The matter is still sub-judice.