Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court today took cognizance over allegations about encroachments at Mahasu Peak at Kufri by a private fun park operator and issued notices to the chief secretary, forest secretary and others over government apathy towards development of peak area.
Treating a letter to the court by Infinity Adventure Tourism as a petition in public interest, the division bench of Chief justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed the orders for serving notice on the government.
The letter written to the chief justice has alleged that an entry fee of Rs 10/- per tourist was being levied by Gram Panchayat Shataiyan and a huge fund had been collected but it was not being used to provide sanitation or develop the area.
The notification for levying of entry fee had specifically mentioned that it would be used for maintenance of Mahasu peak and for providing toilets and sanitation.
It also alleges that the owners of Kufri Fun World, the fun park operator at the peak, had encroached about ten bighas of government land and the forest department was also acting at the behest of the park owners.
The letter also alleges that after an accident on June 6, 2014 in which a tourist had died during adventure activities, the administration had closed all adventure activities and forcibly removed stalls, depriving local people from livelihood means.
There are also allegations that military barracks, vacated by the military on Mahasu peak, were being used as private property by the Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Shataiyan.
The Pradhan is also stated to be having a share in running of Kufri Fun World.
The applicant has also complained about pollution and mismanagement of horse dung, garbage and sanitation conditions.
The court after issuing notices has posted the matter for September 17.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
