Pune: Forest Land Illegally Given to Private Entities Must Be Returned, Rules Supreme Court
Pune: Forest Land Illegally Given to Private Entities Must Be Returned, Rules Supreme Court
Pune collector begins land transfer process after apex court cancels 1998 allotment to housing society in Kondhwa Budruk
The Supreme Court has ordered the restoration of nearly 30 acres of reserved forest land in Kondhwa Budruk, Pune, which was illegally allotted to Richie Rich Cooperative Housing Society (RRCHS). In its May 15 ruling, the apex court quashed the 1998 allotment of 11.89 hectares (approximately 29 acres and 15 gunthas), describing the transaction as “totally illegal” and a violation of the doctrine of public trust.
Responding to the court directive, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed that the land would be handed over to the forest department within a month. Dudi had instructed officials to begin the handover process on May 17.
Although the land was originally designated for agricultural use, it was sold to RRCHS in 2007 after receiving clearance from the Union environment ministry. The Supreme Court ruled that this approval contravened a 1996 Central government ban on diverting forest land for non-forestry purposes. The bench stated that no valid de-reservation process had taken place since 1934, and that the land had continued to be recorded as reserved forest since its notification in 1879.
The court also observed a deep-rooted nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, and builders, stating that the forest land was diverted for commercial use under the pretense of rehabilitation. In scathing remarks, the bench noted that the land was allotted in 1998 to members of the Chavan family and that both the then revenue minister and Pune’s divisional commissioner had completely disregarded legal safeguards.
The court further annulled the environmental clearance granted on July 3, 2007, and ordered that the land, still held by the revenue department, be handed over to the forest department within three months. A revenue official indicated that with no encroachments found, the process should proceed without delays, requiring only the necessary changes in land records.
This case now stands as a significant example of how public land, especially forest land, can be illegally repurposed through bureaucratic and political collusion, and how the judiciary can intervene to restore public assets to their rightful status.
