The key decision
In Narinder Singh v. Divesh Bhutani (2022) the Supreme Court held that land covered by special orders under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900 has the trappings of forest land. The State cannot allow non-forest use of such land without prior Central Government approval, with effect from 25 October 1980.
Limits of that decision
- A notification under Section 3 alone does not automatically make land forest.
- The Court did not decide the status of land under Section 5 orders; that is case by case.
The Aravalli definition
Separate Supreme Court proceedings on how the Aravalli range should be defined were pending at our last check (record). Outcomes may affect land in Haryana.
Checklist
- Is any part of the parcel notified or covered by orders under PLPA?
- Is it recorded as forest or as gair mumkin pahar / hill in the revenue record?
- Are there pending proceedings affecting the area?
Who decides
The Forest Department, the Central Government (for forest diversion) and the courts.