Hans News Service Nainital

TheUttarakhand High Court has reserved its decision on a petition challenging the administrative approval given to the land identified for the new high court complex construction. The Uttarakhand High Court is proposed to be shifted from Nainital to the Bel Baba area of Haldwani. A division bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Pankaj Purohit reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from the petitioner, the state government and other parties. In his petition, advocate and activist Raman Shah questioned the identification of land near the Bel Baba Temple for the proposed high court complex.

He contended that the land identified in the Nainital district magistrate’s report is reserved forest land and its proposed use for high court construction is contrary to Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The petitioner argued that extensive plantation has been carried out on the land and its character as forest land cannot be altered without following the procedure prescribed under law.

He also requested an inquiry into the role of officials involved in identifying the land and sought appropriate action if any violation was found. Referring to the Supreme Court’s order dated July 15, 2026, the petitioner submitted that de-reservation or diversion of reserved forest land requires compliance with the forest conservation laws, including approval from the Central government, and that the character of the land cannot be changed merely on a judicial order.

He further claimed that the proposed site falls within an elephant corridor and is an environmentally sensitive area. Construction of a major institutional complex, he argued, could have significant consequences for forests, wildlife and the surrounding ecology and therefore requires careful consideration. Another argument raised before the court concerned the objective behind the creation of Uttarakhand as a hill state.

The petitioner contended that relocation of one of the state’s most important institutions from the hills to the plains should be examined in that context. If shifting of the high court becomes necessary, he submitted, the authorities should explore a suitable location within the hill region.