Allahabad HC Directs Haridwar & Bijnor DMs To Install Pillars Demarcating State Boundaries Between UP & Uttarakhand

Last week, the Allahabad High Court directed the district magistrates posted at Haridwar (in Uttarakhand) and Bijnor (in Uttar Pradesh) districts to direct for the erection of pillars in their respective areas to demarcate the boundaries between the two states on January 23rd. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Manjive Shukla while disposing of a writ petition filed by one Gurpreet Singh (a resident of Bijnor district). Essentially, in his petition, the petitioner claimed that the authorities of the State of Uttarakhand were unlawfully intervening in his possession and cultivation of agricultural land due to uncertainties and disputes regarding the state boundaries between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It was his specific case that the land owned by him falls exclusively within the State boundary of the State of UP and he doesn't own any land in the State of Uttarakhand. The petitioner sought the Court's intervention to instruct the Survey of India's geographical department to form an expert committee, in collaboration with revenue officers from Bijnor and Haridwar districts, to demarcate the boundaries between the two states. Noting that the Standing Counsel for the State of UP and the Deputy Advocate General, for the State of Uttarakhand agreed that the issue may be resolved by the revenue authorities of the two States, the Court disposed of the writ plea by issuing the following directions: The District Magistrate, Haridwar and the District Magistrate, Bijnor may designate the appropriate Sub Divisional Magistrate and the revenue team comprising of officers working under them who may visit the village Himmatpur Bela, Tehsil and District Bijnor and determine and demarcate the points through which the undisputed boundary between the two States exists. Such exercise may be carried out in the presence of the petitioner on January 23 at noon. The petitioner will ensure his presence on the date and time fixed by this court.Upon completion of the exercise of demarcation of the State boundaries, appropriate demarcation pillars may be affixed if required, to demarcate any portion of land in dispute falling in the State of Uttarakhand. The Court further directed the petitioner to vacate land if, in the process of demarcation, it is found that he is in illegal possession of any portion of land in the State of UP.Top of Form Case title - Gurpreet Singh vs. Union Of India And 6 Others 2024 LiveLaw (AB) 23 [WRIT - C No. - 20596 of 2023] Case Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (AB) 23 Click Here To Read/Download Order

Allahabad HC Directs Haridwar & Bijnor DMs To Install Pillars Demarcating State Boundaries Between UP & Uttarakhand

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