ANAND TIMBER Vs. STATE OF JHARKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) IN this writ application the petitioner has prayed for quashing the letter dated 7.9,2001 and 12.12.2001 issued by respondent Nos. 3 and 4, namely, Conservator of Forest, Deoghar Circle, Deoghar and the Divisional Forest Officer, Deoghar, whereby the application for renewal of licence of Saw Mill has been rejected.

(2.) PETITIONERS case is that in 1996, he had applied for grant of licence for Saw Mill and after due inquiry that the Saw Mill situated outside the forest area a licence was granted in 1997. The said licence being registration No. 1/97 was time to time renewed by the Divisional Forest Officer, Deoghar. All of a sudden in 2001 petitioner was directed by respondent No. 4 to produce all the documents in relation to his Saw Mill. Petitioner produced all the documents. However, suddenly respondent No. 4 refused to renew the licence and directed the petitioner to stop the Saw Mill.

(3.) FROM perusal of the Impugned letter dated 7.9.2001, it appears that the Conservator of Forest ordered that renewal of licence shall not be issued till further order in view of the order passed by the High Court in a Public Interest Litigation. In another letter dated 12.12.2001, the Divisional Forest Officer informed the petitioner that all licences which were issued after 12.12.1996 shall not be renewed in view of the decision of the Supreme Court.