Shimla, Jul 16 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Wednesday expressed pain and anguish over the uprooting of apple trees raised on encroached forest lands in the state, stating that the interests of small and marginal farmers with less than five bighas of land should be protected.

Questioning the timing of the removal of encroachments, Thakur, who represents Jubbal and Kotkhai assembly constituencies in the heart of the apple belt, told the media, "The apple plants, with fruits ready for harvesting, are being uprooted during the monsoon season. When the plantations are done, I will apprise the chief minister regarding the concerns of small and marginal farmers and plead for a solution to provide relief."

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The action is being taken in compliance with orders of the High Court, but Thakur said the case could have been pleaded more effectively. "Now, it is a thing of the past," he added.

He further stated that the matter was not new. In 2015, the government had constituted a committee to formulate a policy for the regularisation of encroachments up to five bighas of land to provide relief to small, marginal, and deprived persons. However, the government changed in 2017, and the matter remained pending.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)