Allahabad HC Orders District Magistrates in UP and Uttarakhand to Demarcate State Boundaries

The Allahabad High Court has directed the district magistrates of Haridwar and Bijnor in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, to install pillars for demarcating the boundaries between the two states.

A division bench comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Manjive Shukla, disposed of a writ petition filed by Gurpreet Singh of Bijnor district. The court also mandated that this demarcation exercise be conducted in the presence of the petitioner on January 23, 2024.

The court further directed that after completing the demarcation, pillars should be erected at the specific boundary point. The petitioner has been instructed to ensure his presence on the date and time set by the court. The order stipulated, “It is further provided that upon completion of the exercise of demarcation of the state boundaries, appropriate demarcation pillars may be affixed if so required to demarcate any portion of land in dispute falling in the state of Uttarakhand.”

The petitioner argued that due to certain boundary differences between the two states, the state of Uttarakhand has engaged in “illegal interference” over his agricultural land located in Himmatpur village in Bela tehsil of Bijnor district. The petitioner sought the court’s direction to the geographical department of the Survey of India to establish an expert committee along with revenue officers from Bijnor and Haridwar districts to demarcate the boundaries.

During the court proceedings, state counsel of Uttar Pradesh S C Upadhyay and deputy advocate general of Uttarakhand Krishna Singh concurred that the issue could be resolved by the revenue authorities of the two states.