The Supreme Court summoned Rajesh Kumar, Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Forest Department, to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.
A Bench of Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and KV Viswanathan made this decision after finding some comments in Kumar’s affidavit to be potentially contemptuous. The Court directed Kumar to appear on September 9 to explain his actions.
The case involves the Maharashtra government’s failure to comply with a previous Supreme Court order regarding compensatory afforestation levies for denotifying forest land in Pashan, Pune.
On August 7, the Court criticized the Maharashtra government’s recent budget, which included various incentives totaling ₹96,000 crores, including the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which offers ₹1,500 monthly to eligible women.
The Court warned on August 14 that it would stop such freebies if the state did not pay the required compensation by August 28. It also mentioned that if the compensation issue was not resolved, the Chief Secretary might be summoned and the budget incentives could be halted.
During today’s hearing, the Court was frustrated with Maharashtra’s lack of clear answers on compensation rates and accused the government of “dilly-dallying tactics.” Justice Gavai questioned, “When will you give the ready reckoner rates for Pashan?”
The Court also warned that it might immediately stop the Ladki Bahin Yojana due to the government’s lack of seriousness. It criticized the state’s affidavit and remarked, “It is the bounden duty of the State to follow the law and arrive at proper conclusions. A senior officer is not expected to make statements implying the court is unaware.”
Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta, representing the landowners, was allowed to inspect the site to determine if monetary compensation was preferable. The Court directed the district’s collector to facilitate this inspection and adjourned the matter for two weeks.
Despite the state’s attempt to withdraw a statement from the affidavit, the Court remained firm and issued a contempt notice to Kumar.
