The Delhi High Court has instructed the religious committee to gather details on 249 unauthorized religious structures on public land and submit a report in six weeks. Following a Supreme Court directive, the committee must work with various agencies for the removal of these structures. Previous actions by the Delhi Development Authority removed 127 such structures.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the city’s religious committee to collect information on 249 unauthorised religious structures built on public land and submit a report on their removal.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhayaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that after compiling the necessary details, the principal secretary of the Delhi government or an authorised officer must file a status report in court within six weeks.
The case was referred by the Supreme Court and pertains to the removal of illegal religious structures on public land.
The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that
“no unauthorised construction should be carried out or allowed in the name of religious structures on public streets, public parks and other public places.”
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It also directed state governments to review existing illegal structures and take necessary action.
In 2018, the Supreme Court handed over the matter to the High Courts to ensure proper implementation of its orders.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) informed the court that it had already identified and demolished 127 illegal religious structures, including some built in Sanjay Van and Jahanpanah city forest.
Of these, 82 structures were identified by the forest department, and action was taken accordingly.
The court highlighted that the religious committee, headed by the principal secretary of the Delhi government, had held 51 meetings and recommended the removal of 249 unauthorised religious structures.
“Accordingly, we direct that the religious committee shall collect complete information of 249 matters, which were identified for removal of unauthorised religious structures, from the agencies on whose land such structures exist as also from the agencies which are responsible for removal of such unauthorised structures,”
the bench ordered.
The court noted that the illegal structures were built on lands belonging to multiple government agencies, including:
- New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)
- Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
- Delhi Cantonment Board
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)
- Ministry of Railways
- Department of Forest
- Public Works Department (PWD)
- Other Delhi government departments
The agencies have taken action based on the religious committee’s recommendations.
The court has scheduled the next hearing on May 14, by which time the religious committee must submit a detailed report on the status of the removal of illegal religious structures from public land.
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