SHIMLA: The internationally renowned hill station of Chail 45 km from here which attracts thousands of tourists during summer months is in the midst of a fierce Controversy The states Revenue Department has discovered that the entire town is unauthorized find has come up on government land. It also falls under reserve forest areas of the state. The town which had remained a favorite retreat of the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala till a few decades ago still maintains the legacy of the old male Hundreds of families who have constructed their residential houses and other properties are up in the arms to seek ownership rights. The revenue authorities claim that the families living in the town and dozens of State and central government offices located here have no legitimate property and ownership rights.
The problems which otherwise could not have caused any worry fo the Slate government in fact have been complicated with the Forests Conservation Act coming into force. The state government is understood to have decided to bring the issue to the notice of the cabinet and finally approach Union Ministry of Forest and Environment for getting its clearance for grant of ownership rights. Revenue Minister Gulab Singh who visited Chatti last week to make an on the spot study assured a gathering of local families and other prominent citizens that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was fully aware of the matter and soon the government would reach an appropriate decision. Historically the town was set up by the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala as an alternate to Shimla because of its natural beauty. Later under royal declaration the then maharaja conferred property nights on 70 families the revenue authorities claim that the families who settled in the town however no documentary evidence of their ownership had Fights. Thus leading to the entire problem.
The issue was also raised in the State Legislative assembly by Krishna Mohni a Congress MLA from Solan and got an assurance from the Revenue Minister that the government would take an appropriate decision in the matter but would not reject the families living there from decades.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 24, 1994
