PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
Providing relief to the farmers of Udham Singh Nagar district, the Uttarakhand High Court has stayed an administrative order related to summer paddy cultivation. The single bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit gave its ruling after hearing a petition filed by farmers of Gadarpur tehsil.
Notably, the petition challenged the order issued by the Udham Singh Nagar district administration on February 4, in which the district magistrate had directed all sub-divisional magistrates to destroy unauthorised summer paddy nurseries (seedlings grown from sown seeds) and allow paddy cultivation only in waterlogged areas.
The petitioners informed the court through the petition that with their agricultural land located in various areas, many of which do not fall under the category of waterlogged land, there is no legal provision for such an order and so it violates the rights of farmers.
After hearing the matter, the court ruled that till the next date of hearing, farmers would be allowed to prepare summer paddy nurseries and continue cultivation.
The next hearing of the case will be held on March 23.
