India, Aug. 5 -- In a significant ruling, the high court on Tuesday declared Section 163-A of the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act, 1954, which empowers the state government to frame rules for regularising encroachments on its land, unconstitutional.

"Section 163-A of HP Land Revenue Act is manifestly arbitrary and unconstitutional and as a consequence, rules framed thereunder are quashed," the division bench of justice Vivek Singh Thakur and justice Bipin Chander Negi ruled, disposing of a petition filed in 2002.

In its order, the Bench observed that the impugned provision is a "legislation for a class of dishonest persons" which seeks to regularise all illegal encroachments, and thus, is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. ...