SC gives six weeks for anti-encroachment plan

Feb 17, 2010

New Delhi, Feb. 16: As some states, including Andhra Pradesh feared that the removal of all the religious places built illegally on public land could result in a major law and order problem, the Supreme Court on Tuesday set a deadline of six weeks for all the states and Union Territories to lay down comprehensive policy to prevent the encroachment of government land by religious institutions.

While asking the states and UTs to file affidavits on the formulation of the policy within eight weeks, a Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and K.S. Radhakrishnan directed that in their affidavits should clearly state what steps had been taken to remove or relocate the existing religious structures, including temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras built by encroaching the public land. The policy framed by every state and UT must clearly indicate whether they wanted to remove, relocate or demolish a particular religious place.

The Court issued the direction to enforce its order of December 7, 2009 banning construction of any religious place on government land illegally after receiving the replies from all the states except Uttrakhand, which was given 15 days to file an affidavit.

Some states, including Andhra Pradesh expressed apprehension about law and order problem if all such religious places are removed as people’s religious sentiments were involved. The AP government in its affidavit stated that it had identified a total of 647 religious structures built on footpaths in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area alone.

Age Correspondent

http://www.asianage.com/content/sc-gives-six-weeks-anti-encroachment-plan

Punjab to set up committees to remove all illegal encroachments including religious places

NAKODAR: Punjab Government while implementing the orders of Supreme Court to remove all illegal encroachments including religious places at public places, encroached within a period of ten years, has decided to set up District Levels Committees headed by District Magistrates to consider these type of cases.

SSPs, Representatives of Local Bodies department, Rural Development and Rural Panchyats Departments would be members of these district level committees.

When contacted Nakodar SDM Iqbal Singh Sandhu confirmed it and told this correspondent here that home department of the state has instructed to regularize those illegal constructions more than ten years old and not to be asked to remove the pllegal construction ever by the administration.

SDM Sandhu said that home and justice department has now instructed to ensure normal traffic on the main roads and remove the hinderances.

All Concerned Officers have been instructed to send monthly report to higher authorities regularly.

http://punjabnewsline.com/content/punjab-set-committees-remove-all-illegal-encroachments-including-religious-places

Roadside religious places encroachment of public land: Rajsthan high court

Published: Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010, 22:02 IST

Place: Jaipur | Agency: PTI

Taking a serious note of the mushrooming illegal roadside religious places, the Rajasthan high court has directed the state government to come out with a plan within a month for the removal of 58,000 such structures in the state.

The direction came after the court suo moto took up the issue following complaints of inconvenience to the public with such illegal structures coming up on roadsides and on public land.

A division bench of the high court comprising acting chief justice Arun Mishra and justice M Rafiq directed the Rajasthan government to prepare a concrete plan within a month outlining how these structures can be removed.

The state government in its response had submitted that there were 58,000 illegal religious structures in the state.

"We appreciate religious feelings associated with places of worship but still God and Goddesses too will feel bad sitting on a roadside or a nallaha. Temples are not like roadside vendorshops that can be installed anywhere. We cannot allow encroachments in the name of temples," Justice Mishra observed.

Justice Mishra also issued an advisory to the advocate general of the state saying, the government must itself take a decision to dismantle these encroachments or the court will be forced to step in and take action.

Advocate General G S Bapna submitted to the bench that the state government has framed a policy to demolish all those illegal religious roadside structures causing traffic hazards.

He said those structures which would be demolished will, however, be relocated in a nearby vicinity.

Bapna said the government has decided to regularise those temples and mosques that are not causing any traffic hazard.

Under the policy, places of worship would be clearly earmarked in all the upcoming colonies, he said.

A single judge of the court in January this year taken suo moto cognizance of the illegally constructed temples and mosques on roadsides and public land.

The court had then asked the state authorities to explain that despite Supreme Court's verdict in this regard why public land is being allowed to be encroached by persons who try to grab the land in the name of building temples and mosques.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_roadside-religious-places-encroachment-of-public-land-rajsthan-high-court_1464897