Aizawl : The Gauhati High Court has ordered Mizoram’s Chief Secretary to appear before it in person on September 1.
The order comes after the state government failed to respond to a petition asking for, in effect, for the dismantling of 500 sq kms of Dampa Tiger Reserve and compensation for more than 500 families evicted from within it’s boundaries almost 30 years ago.
According to Lalramtiama, lawyer for the petitioners PRISM (an Aizawl-based NGO), GHC Chief Justice Sreedhar Rao on Monday asked the Mizoram Chief Secretary to appear before it in person after the state did not file responses through their lawyers after given them several chances.
Lalramtiama said PRISM has asked for the “restoration” of the Dampa Tiger Reserve because it was illegally notified in 1985 after an earlier notification had been quashed by a court.
His clients have asked for the latter notification to be withdrawn and set aside, he said, while demanding compensation for more than 500 families from almost a score villages within the reserve who were evicted without any relief or rehabilitation measures.