The biggest news of this time is coming out for Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The Supreme Court has stayed the High Court’s construction permission to a part of a 90-acre luxury township project with a helipad in Jeeling State, Bhimtal. There was no legal approval for this construction in the ancient evergreen forest area.

In the Supreme Court, the bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed an order on January 2, canceling the order of October 5, 2023 of the High Court. In a PIL, the Nainital High Court, under the chairmanship of the then Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, issued an order in W.P.P.I.L. No. 44 of the year 2020 for the construction of a 90-acre luxury township project including a helipad in Jilling State, Bhimtal. Permission was given.

Due to this, there was a danger of the ancient evergreen forest area in Jeeling Estate of Nainital district being affected. The affidavit of the Uttarakhand State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) said that the project in question should be demolished and after assessing the damage, a fine should be imposed on the builders.

Despite this, the division bench issued permission for the construction. Virendra Singh filed a special leave petition SLP (C) in the Supreme Court against this order. Earlier, the Division Bench of the High Court had appointed a retired IFS officer as the Court Commissioner to conduct local and physical inspection of the area and submit the report.  Today, the division bench of the Supreme Court, questioning the order of the High Court, has put a stay on the construction permission.