Abdur Rouf and 56 Ors v. The State of Assam and 5 Ors

PageoNo.#o1/12 GAHC010125442023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWA/213/2023o ABDURoROUFoANDo56oORS.o S/OoLATEoFARIDoALI,oRESIDENTSoOFoVILLAGE-oOLDoSOLAMONAoBOROo SOBRI,oP.O.-ISABHEEL,oP.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA,oDISTRICT-oKARIMGANJ,o ASSAM,oPIN-788728. 2:oJAFURoAHMED oS/OoLT.oISAKoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA 3:oABDULoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oMUZAMMILoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA 4:oABDULoKAIYUM oS/OoLT.oFIRAJoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA 5:oSALIKURoRAHMAN oS/OoABDURoRAHMAN DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 6:oABDULoKALAM oS/OoLT.oABDURoRAZZAK P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. PageoNo.#o2/12 7:oABDULoGAFUR oS/OoLT.oISAKoALI 8:oMAYURoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oMASADDARoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 9:oABDULoJALIL oS/OoLT.oABDULoMANNAN P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 10:oBILALoAHMED oS/OoLT.oSUAIoMIA oRESIDENTSoOFo VILLAGE-OLDoSOLAMONAoBOROoSOBRI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 11:oANOWARAoBEGUM oW/OoLT.oABDULoKADIR DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 12:oHAFIJURoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oJAFARoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 13:oRAHIMoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oSAIBURoRAHMAN P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 14:oFAKARoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oFIROJoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. PageoNo.#o3/12 15:oRAHIMAoBIBI oW/OoLT.oSAYABoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 16:oNIJAMoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oFAIJULoRAHMAN P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA 17:oHANIFAoBIBI oW/OoLT.oABDULoAHAD P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 18:oBEDANAoKHATUN oW/OoLT.oABDULoSUKUR P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA,DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ oASSAM,PIN-788728. 19:oSAMSULoHOQUE oS/OoLT.oAABDULoMUSSABIR P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 20:oABDULoSUKKUR oS/OoLT.oABDULoRASHID DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,PIN-788728. 21:oLUTFURoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oNOORoUDDIN P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ.oASSAM,oPIN-788728. 22:oABDULoSAHID oS/OoLT.oFURKANoUDDIN P.O.-ISABHEEL,oP.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA,oDISTRICT-KARIMGANJ oASSAM,oPIN-788728. PageoNo.#o4/12 23:oABDULoRAKIB oS/OoLT.oABDULoSHAHID 24:oABDULoWAHID oS/OoLT.oABDULoRAKIB 25:oASIYAoBEGUM oW/OoLT.oABDULoODUD 26:oABDULoKALAM oS/OoLT.oSIFAToALI 27:oBEDANAoBEGUMoCHOUDHURY oD/OoL.oABDULoMALIK 28:oABDULoMATLIB oS/OoLT.oAKRAMoALI 29:oABDULoHASIB oS/OoLT.oABDULoKARIM 30:oSAMIMAoAKHTAR oW/OoNAZMULoISLAM PageoNo.#o5/12 31:oNAPURJANoBIBI oW/OoSAIFoUDDIN 32:oSIDDEKoALI oS/OoLT.oABDULoGONI 33:oABDULoMANNAN oS/OoLT.oMUDARISoALI 34:oFAIJULoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oSAKAWAToALI 35:oABDULoMUMIN oS/OoLT.oSIDDEKoALI 36:oSURATANoBIBIo@oCHURHAoBIBI oW/OoLT.oABDULoMAJID 37:oABDULoSATTAR oS/OoLT.oWAKIRoALI 38:oABDULoRASHID oS/OoLT.oABDULoWAKILo@oKHALILoUDDIN PageoNo.#o6/12 39:oJAINULoHOQUE oS/OoLT.oABDULoHOQUE 40:oKAMARoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oTAHIRoALI 41:oAFTABoUDDINo@oATAURoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oABDULoBARI 42:oPIARAoBEGUM oW/OoLT.oBASIRoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,P.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA 43:oMUKHLISURoRAHMAN oS/OoLT.oMATASINoALI P.O.-ISABHEEL,oP.S.-BAZARIoCHERRA,o 44:oNIJAMoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oFARIDoALI 45:oASMAoBEGUMo@oASMAoKHATUN oW/OoABDULoMALIK 46:oNAKOIoBIBI oW/OoLT.oABDULoKARIMo@oKARIMoALI PageoNo.#o7/12 47:oKABIRoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oTAHIRoALI 48:oABDULoSALAM oS/OoLT.oSIFAToALI 49:oAFTERAoBEGUM oW/OoLT.oMIRJANoALI 50:oABDULoJABBAR oS/OoLT.oABDULoGAFUR 51:oABDURoNOOR oS/OoLT.oTURABoALI 52:oBEGOMoBIBI oW/OoABDULoHASIB 53:oABDULoHAMID oS/OoLT.oRAKIBoALI 54:oASHAoBIBI oW/OoLT.oABDURoROUF PageoNo.#o8/12 55:oSABoUDDIN oS/OoLT.oFAYJURoRAHMAN oRESIDENTSoOFo VILLAGE-OLDoSOLAMONAoBOROoSOBRI 56:oHARIoBIBI oD/OoLT.oABDULoSAHID oRESIDENTSoOFo VILLAGE-OLDoSOLAMONAoBOROoSOBRI 57:oANOWARAoBEGUM oD/OoLT.oATAURoRAHMAN oRESIDENTSoOFo VILLAGE-OLDoSOLAMONAoBOROoSOBRI DISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM,oPIN-788728o VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo5oORS.o REP.oBYoTHEoPRINCIPALoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM,o ENVIRONMENToANDoFORESToDEPTT.,o DISPURoGUWAHATI-o6. 2:THEoPRINCIPALoCHIEFoCONSERVATORoOFoFORESToANDoHEADoOFo FORESToFORCE,oASSAM oPANJABARI,oGUWAHATI-37 3:THEoDEPUTYoCOMMISSIONER,oKARIMGANJ oDISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM. 4:THEoDIVISIONALoFORESToOFFICER,oKARIMGANJ oDISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM. 5:THEoRANGEoOFFICER oLOWAIRPUWAoRANGEoOFFICE,oPATHARKANDI oDISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAM. 6:THEoCIRCLEoOFFICER oPATHERKANDIoREVENUECIRCLE,oPATHERKANDI oDISTRICT-KARIMGANJ,oASSAMo Page No.# 9/12 For the Appellant(s) : Mr. R.P. Sarmah, Senior Advocate assisted by Mr. D. Doley and Ms. A. Deka, Advocates. For the Respondent(s) : Mr. P.N. Goswami, Additional Advocate General, Assam assisted by Mr. I. Kalita, Standing Counsel, Forest Department. Ms. M. Bhattacharjee, Additional Senior

Government Advocate, Assam. – B E F O R E – HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SUSMITA PHUKAN KHAUND

05.08.2023

The instant intra-Court writ appeal is directed against the judgment and final order dated 09.05.2023 rejecting the writ petition filed by the appellants herein being WP(C) No.4775/2023 with the prayer to direct the respondents in the Forest Department of the Government of Assam as well as the Deputy Commissioner, Karimganj and the Circle Officer, Patharkandi Revenue Circle to take necessary the steps for entering the names of the appellants/writ petitioners in the Jamabandi Register maintained for Old Solamona Boro Sobri Forest Village in terms of the Letter No.FGH.18/G/74/3069, dated 06.11.1974 issued by the Conservator of Forest, Hills, Assam, Shillong as well as the order No.262 dated 31.12.1975 issued by the Divisional Forest Officer, Cachar Division, Silchar.

¶2The learned Single Judge, rejected the writ petition of the petitioners/appellants herein after giving due consideration to the provisions of the Assam Forest Regulations, 1891 (in short, the Regulations of 1981) as well as the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and found that the rights that may accrue to persons who are the beneficiaries of the letter dated 06.11.1974 and the order dated Page No.# 10/12

31.12.1975 cannot exceed the rights that have been provided in the Regulations of 1891 and any indication in these two documents which were beyond the scope of the Rules would not carry any legal sanction or recognition. The learned Single Judge further concluded that as per Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (in short, the Act of 1980) which begins with a non-obstante clause, stipulating that no State Government or any other authority is empowered to make, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, any order directing, amongst others, that any forest land or any portion whereof may be used for any non-forest purposes and that any forest land or any portion thereof be assigned by way of lease or otherwise to any private person.

¶3Mr. R.P. Sarmah, learned Senior counsel assisted by Mr. D. Doley and Ms. A. Deka, learned counsel representing the appellants urged that the appellants are not seeking leasehold rights on the land in question but are only praying for permission to exercise forest village rights in terms of the letter dated 06.11.1974 and the order dated 31.12.1975 by entering their names in the Jamabandi Register so as to enable them to pay the revenue and to restrain the respondents from evicting the appellants/writ petitioners from their respective lands. He urged that the petitioners were settled by the Government on the lands in question in order to protect the forest area which was earlier encroached upon the Rang-Reang people and have been enjoying the fruits of the land for the last nearly three decades without any adverse effects on the forest area. He thus urged that the appellants who are landless people deserve the relief sought for by them in the writ petition.

¶4Mr. P.N. Goswamim, learned Additional Advocate General, Assam; Mr. I. Kalita, learned Standing Counsel, Forest Department and Ms. M. Bhattacharjee, learned Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam, however, vehemently and fervently opposed the submission advanced by learned Senior counsel for the appellants.

¶5They urged that in view of the over-riding effect of Section 2 of the Forest Page No.# 11/12 (Conservation) Act, 1980, no authority of the State Government, can direct allotment of forest land to any private person. They thus urged that the appellants cannot claim to settle in the reserved forest area under the guise of it being a forest village. They further pointed out that the learned Single Judge has already given indulgence to the appellants that they may submit applications for allotment of lands under the appropriate land policy of the Government of Assam and in turn, the Government has been required to take up such applications as per law.

¶6As per Mr. Goswami, this liberty as granted by the learned Single Judge is beyond the relief sought for by the appellants/writ petitioners in the writ petition and hence, no further indulgence can be extended to the appellants/writ petitioners in this matter. He submitted that the appellants/writ petitioners would be better advised to take recourse of the remedy/indulgence granted to them by the learned Single at para No.41 of the impugned order, which reads as below: "41. But, however, as the petitioners claim that as they are landless people as depicted in the letter dated 06.07.1974, they may submit applications for allotment of lands under the appropriate land policy of the Government of Assam. In the event, it is done, such applications may be taken up as per law by following the relevant procedure and it may be brought to its logical end within three months of making any such application."

¶7Faced with this scenario, Mr. Sarmah, learned Senior counsel representing the appellants candidly concedes that the above process is the only remedy available to the appellants.

¶8We have given our thoughtful consideration to the submissions advanced at Bar and have gone through the impugned order and the material placed on record.

¶9There cannot be any dispute that by virtue of the over-riding effect of Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and in view of the orders passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the continued Mandamus petition of T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs. Union of India and Others, the Court cannot direct/permit mutation of reserve Page No.# 12/12 forest land to be made in favour of the appellants as there is complete prohibition on change of land use of this category of land.

¶10In this background, leaving the appellants at liberty to take recourse of the remedy as provided by the learned Single Judge at para No.41 of the impugned judgment dated 09.05.2023 reproduced (supra), the instant writ appeal is disposed of. No order as to costs.

JUDGE CHIEF

JUSTICE

Comparing Assistant