DISTRICT FOREST OFFICER Vs. MUTHUSAMY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners have filed these batch of Civil Revision Petitions, aggrieved by the order of the learned Additional District Munsif, Fast Track Court, Namakkal, dismissing the application filed by them to condone the delay in filing an appeal, as against the order passed by the Forest Settlement Officer, Athur, Namakkal district. The delay ranges between 973 to 1099 days.

(2.) In all these cases, it is the case of the petitioners that the subject lands were acquired by the Government as early as in the year 1955 and they were declared as Reserve Forest Lands. But, it is the case of the petitioners that without getting sanction / approval of the Government, the Forest Settlement Officer on his own accord, invited claims from various parties and by the impugned order passed by him, excluded the lands of the claimants from the Reserve Forest Area.

(3.) As seen from the affidavit filed in support of the petition to condone the delay, since the subject acquisition was done by the Government as early as in the year, 1955, there was a difficulty for the Government to trace all the records to enable them to file an appeal, within the prescribed period fixed under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act.