I Guwahati
In a significant legal and political vindication for the state government, the Gauhati High Court has formally closed a battery of high-profile petitions and Public Interest Litigations challenging the administrative tenures of retired Indian Forest Service officer M.K. Yadava, clearing the decks as the veteran bureaucrat transitions to a crucial new assignment.
The decisive legal closure unfolded on Wednesday before separate benches of the High Court, where a writ petition filed by Amarjyoti Choudhury and a PIL brought by Rohit Choudhury were both brought to a rest.
Appearing for the state administration, Additional Advocate General Parangam Goswami delivered a resolute and compelling submission, informing the court that Yadava’s third extension as Special Chief Secretary of the Forest Department had successfully concluded on November 11, 2026, and that the state Cabinet had decided against any further extension within the forest apparatus. With the government confirming that Yadava is instead being re-engaged on a contractual basis to spearhead the Mines & Minerals Department under a fresh two-year mandate, the judicial benches—comprising Justice Nchumbemo Mozhui alongside a division bench of Justices Michael Zothankhuma and Sanjeev Kumar Sharma—found no ground to keep the litigation alive, formally dismissing the challenges as infructuous.
Behind this courtroom resolution lies a much broader, uncompromising political and administrative crusade championed over the last few years by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Through the unwavering backbone of the state forest machinery, the government has pursued a historic, unyielding campaign to reclaim thousands of bighas of sensitive forest land from illegal encroachers. This relentless drive to evict unlawful occupants has established an unprecedented benchmark for safeguarding the fragile ecology, biodiversity, and indigenous cultural heritage of Assam.
Stepping beyond routine legal defense during Wednesday's proceedings, Additional Advocate General Parangam Goswami framed the administration’s mission in soaring, ideological terms. In a bold and inspiring submission that resonated deeply within the courtroom, Goswami asserted that protecting public land from illegal encroachment must never be reduced to a cheap political punching bag. Instead, he passionately declared that reclaiming our natural reserves is a sacred repayment to our motherland and an ultimate act of respect toward nature itself. With the judiciary providing robust and proper justification for this transformative administrative mission, the state government stands taller than ever—having successfully shielded its environmental treasures while seamlessly steering its bureaucratic leadership forward.
