Et Report
Jammu, Dec 3: A Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Justice AK Patnaik, Justice SS Nijjar and Justice FI Kalifulla directed the Govt of J&K to consider and pass appropriate orders in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court in municipal area/industrial estate for relocation of their wood-based industry. 14 owners of wood-based industries in Hiranagar namely M/s Sharma Saw Mills, Dharam Paul & Surinder Kumar, Ganesh Dass, Salaria Saw Mill, Tara Chand Saw Mill, Raghwinder Sharma, Salgotra Body Builders, Des Raj Salgotra, N.S. Saw Mills, Ganesh Dass, Parshottam Lal, Bishan Das Saw Mill, Jai Baba Sidh Goria Saw Mill, Bodh Raj Saw Mill & Patyar Saw Mill filed a writ petition in the SC challenging the vires of SRO-103/212 in which the wood-based industry within the premises of municipal area or in the state run industrial estate shall not be subjected to the restriction imposed by the SC that wood-based industry shall not be established within the range of eight kms from the forest demarcation. Prof. Bhim Singh, Sr. Advocate arguing for the petitioners submitted that the Govt. of J&K has made the poor industry owners as scapegoat though they are running the industry in their own land. SC while accepting the plea of Prof. Bhim Singh ordered the State Govt to allot land/plot to each petitioner in case they would make a representation/apply to the authorities in this regard. Prof. Bhim Singh said that this would give relief to the 14 petty wood-based owners so that they are not completely routed from their business and earning. |
