Shimla, Sept 25,
In a notable legal development, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued an interim order halting the transfer of 112 hectares of land from Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University in Palampur to the state’s Tourism Department. The land was earmarked for the creation of a tourism village. This order was issued during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Teachers’ Association, which has strongly opposed the transfer.
The bench, consisting of Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Ranjan Sharma, directed the Chief Secretary, as well as officials from the Tourism and Agriculture Departments and the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, to file their responses by October 17. The court raised concerns over the potential adverse effects on agricultural education and research that could result from such a land transfer.
Faculty members, students, and local stakeholders have expressed strong objections, arguing that the land is critical for ongoing agricultural research, particularly for advancing sustainable farming techniques and crop diversification. The university’s research efforts are crucial for the agricultural community in the region, which relies on these studies to improve farming practices tailored to the unique agro-climatic conditions of the Northwestern Himalayas.
The Agriculture Teachers’ Association has been opposing the transfer since January, fearing that reducing the university’s land could jeopardize its ambition of becoming a Central Agricultural University for the Northwestern region. They argue that any diversion of land away from agricultural purposes would greatly hinder the institution’s ability to continue its research and educational activities.
The university has already seen portions of its land used for other projects, including the construction of Vikram Batra College and a science museum, which has reduced its capacity for future academic expansion. Former vice chancellors of the institution have also voiced their concerns, warning that losing more land would significantly limit the university’s ability to contribute to agricultural innovation in the region.
Despite multiple representations made to the Governor and Chief Minister, urging them to reconsider the proposal, the land transfer remained a priority for the state government until the High Court’s intervention. The court’s temporary halt on the land transfer has been seen as a relief by the university’s faculty and students, though the issue remains unresolved.
This legal battle highlights a broader conflict between the state’s push for tourism infrastructure development and the need to preserve agricultural resources vital for research and education. Local stakeholders emphasize that protecting agricultural institutions is essential for the sustainable development of Himachal Pradesh’s farming community. The court’s involvement has put the brakes on the proposed land transfer, but the final resolution will depend on the responses from the relevant state authorities in the coming weeks.
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