HP High Court Rules on Forest Encroachment & PSC Pension Cases

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed the state government’s revision plea in a forest encroachment case, observing that no one can be held guilty under Section 33 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 unless the forest is duly notified and the notification publicized. The court held that absence of such notification in the chargesheet made the prosecution unsustainable.

In another matter, the court heard a compliance report from the state government on pension benefits for Public Service Commission chairpersons and members. The bench directed that pensions be revised in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Kerala High Court precedent, addressing a long-pending grievance raised in 2020 by former HPPSC Chairman K.S. Tomar.