JODHPUR, June 8 -- In a significant push for environmental accountability, the Rajasthan high court on Friday directed the municipal council of Kotputli to plant 10 shady trees for every tree or plant removed during road widening or construction projects, and to maintain a proper inventory of such removal. The court also instructed that these trees be planted in nearby public areas and that a compliance report be submitted before the court. The order was passed by justice Anoop Kumar Dhand while hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by Kotputli residents and shopkeepers who alleged that their properties had been arbitrarily demolished by civic authorities without proper notice or lawful acquisition, under pretext of road expansion. Slamming the civic body for acting without adherence to due process, the court observed, "In a democratic set-up governed by the rule of law, the state cannot deprive its citizens from their properties without following the due process of law." While the court did not interfere with the ongoing development work, it laid down a series of corrective directions. It directed the formation of a committee within 15 days to hear objections from affected individuals regarding their rights and title over the disputed properties. htc...