DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's Leader of Opposition, Yashpal Arya, has formally urged Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to convene a special session of the State Assembly to address the urgent plight and rights of families residing on forest lands across the state.
The appeal comes as heightened judicial scrutiny, particularly concerning the Pashulok area in Rishikesh, threatens to displace thousands of long-term residents.
Arya emphasised that the core issues surrounding forest rights, existing land leases, and the predicament of multi-generational inhabitants cannot be adequately debated or resolved outside the legislative forum. "The situation in Pashulok, Rishikesh, stems from High Court directives," Arya stated in his letter. "It is impossible to comprehensively discuss the rights granted under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, land leases, and the compulsions of people living on these lands for generations in any court."
This push follows stringent orders issued by the Supreme Court on December 22, 2025, regarding 2,866 acres in Rishikesh’s Pashulok area and adjoining areas. The apex court directed the Chief Secretary and the Chief Conservator of Forests to form an investigation committee to examine the land, which was initially leased to Meera Behn in 1952 for animal conservation activities through the 'Pashulok Seva Samiti'.
The disputed land currently hosts significant government infrastructure, including AIIMS Rishikesh, IDPL, and the Pashulok complex, alongside numerous families displaced from Tehri.
The Opposition leader highlighted that this is not an isolated incident. "Every assembly constituency in the state has similar cases," Arya noted, stressing that protecting the populace from displacement is a primary duty of the government.
Yashpal Arya cited specific examples, including Bagjala village in the Gaulapar area, which has been settled on forest land for over 100 years, thousands of people living for generations in the Damuwadhunga area of Haldwani, and Bindukhatta in the Bhabar region of Nainital district, where people have been settled for over 200 years. Arya asserted that only the State Assembly can engage in the necessary comprehensive discussion to safeguard the interests and rights of these forest land settlers.
