J POUNPANDIAN Vs. DISTRICT COLLECTOR AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed to quash the re-auction notice, dated 26.11.2010 issued by the fourth Respondent and consequently to direct the Respondents to follow the earlier practice of collecting and storing dead and fallen trees of Soolapuram Kudhuval Forest and selling the same in public auction after finding out the dead and fallen trees by engaging the officials under the control of the second Respondent.

(2.) The Petitioner is the Taluk President of Bodinayakanur branch of Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam (Tamil Farmers Association). The present writ petition has been filed by way of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the re-auction notice, dated 26.11.2010 issued by the fourth Respondent for cutting the trees at Soolapuram Kudhuval village, Bodinayakanur Taluk.

(3.) It is the contention of the Petitioner that the Silamalai Panchayat consists of three hamlets namely, Silamalai, Soolapuram and B. Mallingapuram. The Silamalai panchayat is situated in the foot of the western ghat. The population of the panchayat is 7,000 people. Most of the villagers are agriculturists. When the Petitioner sought for information under the Right to Information Act as to he details of living and dead trees which are available in the Silamalai village panchayat, he was informed that the said forest was not a planted one but were grown naturally and that the kinds of trees, correct number of trees in each kind were not ascertainable or numbered due to thorny bushes in the forest.