Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 4 Sep: The Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the transfer of the High Court from Nainital to the Belbaba area of Haldwani and the reservation of land without approval from the Central Government. The division bench comprising of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit delivered the verdict yesterday evening after hearing detailed arguments from both sides and reserving the order earlier. The petition had been filed by statehood activist and advocate Raman Shah along with others.
The petitioners had argued that the proposal prepared by the District Magistrate of Nainital for constructing the new High Court building on reserved forest land near Belbaba temple violated Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The petitioners had also claimed that the proposed site falls within an elephant corridor and had witnessed large-scale plantation, raising concerns about the legality and environmental impact of the relocation.
After considering the submissions, the bench rejected the petition, thereby clearing the way for the continuation of the relocation process. However, the HC has made it clear that the petitioners retain the option of challenging the decision before the Supreme Court or the National Green Tribunal if they remain dissatisfied with the outcome.
