NEW DELHI — A new dispute has emerged in South Delhi as the city’s Revenue and Forest Departments have taken opposing views on whether a parcel of land held by the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in the Bhatti area should be classified as forest land. The conflict has moved to a legal battle, with the Forest Department appealing a recent decision that favored the religious organization.
The Heart of the Argument
At the center of the dispute is approximately 140 bighas of land. The RSSB maintains that the land cannot be designated as “uncultivated surplus” or “forest land” because it was legally leased to them by the gaon sabha (village council) in 1988 and 1989 for the purpose of “tree plantation.” The organization argues that under the Delhi Land Reforms (DLR) Act, tree plantation is considered an agricultural activity, thereby classifying the land as “cultivated land.”
The Forest Department, however, contends that the land is gaon sabha property and should be placed at its disposal for a ‘reserved forest,’ citing a 1996 Supreme Court order that directed the transfer of “uncultivated surplus” gaon sabha land in the Ridge to the Forest Department. The department also claims that a final notification to protect the land cannot be issued because it has been “encroached upon” by the petitioner, the RSSB.
Legal Battle Heats Up
The legal dispute began in 2023 when the RSSB filed a petition before the Forest Settlement Officer (FSO) to exclude its land from being marked as forest. In an order issued in October 2024, the FSO sided with the RSSB, stating that the lease deeds would need to be challenged or canceled before the land could be transferred to the Forest Department.
This decision, however, has been appealed by the Forest Department to the Divisional Commissioner. The department argued that the FSO’s order was “bereft of merit” and failed to verify the validity of the lease deeds, which are crucial for determining the land’s legal status. The matter is currently pending.
The RSSB’s center in the Asola-Bhatti area spans around 300 acres, making it the single largest property owner engaged in a land dispute with the Forest Department in the region. This case is part of a series of long-drawn legal battles over encroachment on the Delhi Ridge, which the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the government to protect.