IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL Writ Petition No. 1887 of 2008 (M/S) 1. Mohd. Ali S/o Umaruddin 2. Akal Bibi W/o Sri Mohd. Ali 3. Kasam S/o Noor Ali 4. Smt. Kammo W/o Sri Kasam All R/o Village Taprowali, Pargana Nazibabad, Tehsil and District Haridwar. . Petitioners ...………… [ Versus 1. State of Uttarakhand through Secretary Forest Department Dehradun. 2. Divisional Forest Officer, Haridwar Forest Division District Haridwar. ...…………. Respondents Ms. Suman Sharma and Mr. Deepak Sharma, Advocates for the petitioners. Mr. Vinod Nautiyal, Addl. Advocate General for the respondents. Hon’ble Prafulla C. Pant, J. Heard learned counsel for the parties. 2) By means of this writ petition, the petitioners have sought writ in the nature of mandamus, directing the Divisional Forest Officer, Haridwar to decide the applications moved by the petitioners relating to permission to cut trees on the private land. 3) Brief facts of the case, as narrated in the writ petition, are that the petitioners were allotted land in 1997-98, in 2 District Haridwar, in which they had planted trees. The petitioners have sought permission to cut trees on the land allotted to them as per applications (copies of which are annexed as Annexures –2 and 3 to the writ petition). The petitioner No. 1 has sought permission to cut 13 Khair trees, out of which 11 are old and dry, and the tree of Kukat which is causing damage to the crops. In the application of petitioner No. 3 Kasam, prayer has been made to cut 25 trees of Khair and Kukat, out of them 20 are old and dry. 4) Having heard learned counsel for the parties and after going through the papers on record, this Court feels it just and proper to dispose of this writ petition summarily directing the respondent No. 2, Divisional Forest Officer, Haridwar Forest Division, Haridwar, to take decision on the applications of the petitioners. 5) Accordingly, the writ petition is summarily disposed of directing the respondent No. 2 to decide the applications of the petitioners relating to permission to cut the trees on the private land, within a period of one month, from the date certified copy of this order is produced before such authority. (Interim Relief Application No. 6969 of 2008 also stands disposed of). (Prafulla C. Pant, J.) [ Dt. October 22, 2008. H.Negi