In Brief
The Supreme Court examined a 1986 Madhya Pradesh notification regulating cattle grazing in government forests. The Court applied its landmark decision in Lakshman v. Madhya Pradesh, which had struck down discriminatory higher grazing rates charged to non-resident cattle owners and invalidated a 45-day transit limit as unconstitutional. The present judgment reaffirmed these holdings, directing the State to provide transit routes enabling cattle passage without destroying reserved forests. While forest protection is legitimate, the Court held that reasonable route restrictions are permissible, but blanket prohibitions cannot be justified. The Court instructed the State to finalize policy within ten weeks, considering petitioners' suggested routes and prior judicial observations.
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