SC Committee Cracks Down on Forest, Road Scams in Himri — Officials Summoned Over Alleged Timber Mafia Links
Shimla, October 29:
A storm is brewing in the Himri forests of Shimla Rural. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Hon’ble Supreme Court has summoned top officials from the Forest, PWD, and Revenue departments over shocking allegations of illegal road construction, timber smuggling, and forged clearances inside demarcated protected forests.
The move follows two interlocutory applications (IA Nos. 140072 and 140078 of 2025) filed by local resident Vijayendra Pal Singh, who blew the whistle on what he calls a “systemic nexus” between local officials and the forest mafia.
The case stems from the Supreme Court’s June 25, 2025 order staying the felling of 875 trees for the proposed Himri–Nallah road project — now under intense scrutiny for violating forest and environment laws.
Acting on CEC’s directions, Singh has submitted fresh evidence alleging forged records, manipulated data, and collusion at multiple levels to obtain forest clearances.
The claims point to 17 km of unapproved roads carved through protected forestland — all allegedly funded by local administrative and panchayat resources.
The petitioner alleges that timber worth lakhs has been siphoned off, while roads were pushed through under the guise of “development” to benefit a handful of influential locals.
“Complaints to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau went nowhere,” Singh stated, urging the Supreme Court to hand over the probe to the CBI.
Interestingly, a Public Interest Litigation (CWPIL) on the same issue is already pending before the Himachal Pradesh High Court since June 2024, where the NGO Pahari Samaj Paryavarni Kawach has backed Singh’s claims.
The NGO has demanded strict judicial oversight to stop what it terms an “ongoing massacre” of the Himri forest belt.
The upcoming CEC hearing is expected to probe the authenticity of forest clearances, roles of district officials and panchayat members, and the scale of environmental damage.
Insiders say the inquiry could open a Pandora’s box of corruption in Himachal’s forest and PWD corridors — exposing how the state’s “development model” has often turned into a cover for plunder.
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