Himachal Pradesh High Court Halts Controversial Land Transfer

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued an interim order preventing the transfer of 112 hectares of land from Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University, Palampur, to the tourism department. This decision follows a PIL filed by the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Teachers' Association, who argue that the move would negatively impact agricultural education.

In a significant setback for the state government, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has restrained the transfer of 112 hectares of land from Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University (CSKHPKV) in Palampur to the tourism department.

The division bench of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma issued the interim order on Tuesday, directing various state authorities, including the chief secretary and secretaries of tourism and agriculture, to file their responses by October 17.

The order was passed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Teachers' Association. They argued that transferring the land for the Tourism Village project would adversely affect agricultural education. The association's concerns were echoed by former university vice-chancellors, students, and local community members.