SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh high court has directed chief secretary Prabodh Saxena to issue appropriate instructions to all the concerned officials to ensure that there is no unauthorised construction or encroachment upon the government land on or along the national highways, state highways, districts roads or other local roads.
The division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Rakesh Kainthla issued these directions while disposing of a petition pertaining to the encroachments on national highway number 5 (Shimla-Kalka) passing through Shimla and Solan districts. The court, in its order released on Saturday, noted that almost all encroachments for which the present petition was registered and also which were detected thereafter, have been removed and some unauthorized construction cases, wherever permissible under law, have been compounded.
But, the division bench made it clear that the officials shall also ensure that there is no reoccurrence or reconstruction of unauthorized structure or encroachment upon the government land on or alongside the national highway, which has already been removed.
“Failing in performing their duty, apart from facing the contempt proceedings, concerned officers/officials responsible for non-reporting or overlooking the reported matter shall also be liable to face departmental proceedings including for removal/dismissal from service as well as criminal proceedings as per law,” underlined the division bench.
The court also directed that the encroachment cases listed by the town and country planning department should be concluded by taking to their logical end as expeditiously as possible and not later than March 31 next year.
The division bench was informed by the authorities that 13 cases of new unauthorised construction were detected along Shimla-Kalka national highway in which action has been initiated by the divisional town and country planning office in Solan. Similarly, 14 cases of unauthorised construction were detected by the special area development authority(SADA) Barog in Solan, 11 such cases by SADA Jabli in Solan and once such case in Kasauli planning area in which action is being implemented, including issuance of notice for disconnection of water and electricity meters.
The division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Rakesh Kainthla issued these directions while disposing of a petition pertaining to the encroachments on national highway number 5 (Shimla-Kalka) passing through Shimla and Solan districts. The court, in its order released on Saturday, noted that almost all encroachments for which the present petition was registered and also which were detected thereafter, have been removed and some unauthorized construction cases, wherever permissible under law, have been compounded.
But, the division bench made it clear that the officials shall also ensure that there is no reoccurrence or reconstruction of unauthorized structure or encroachment upon the government land on or alongside the national highway, which has already been removed.
“Failing in performing their duty, apart from facing the contempt proceedings, concerned officers/officials responsible for non-reporting or overlooking the reported matter shall also be liable to face departmental proceedings including for removal/dismissal from service as well as criminal proceedings as per law,” underlined the division bench.
The court also directed that the encroachment cases listed by the town and country planning department should be concluded by taking to their logical end as expeditiously as possible and not later than March 31 next year.
The division bench was informed by the authorities that 13 cases of new unauthorised construction were detected along Shimla-Kalka national highway in which action has been initiated by the divisional town and country planning office in Solan. Similarly, 14 cases of unauthorised construction were detected by the special area development authority(SADA) Barog in Solan, 11 such cases by SADA Jabli in Solan and once such case in Kasauli planning area in which action is being implemented, including issuance of notice for disconnection of water and electricity meters.
You may also like
BBC Strictly's James Jordan complains minutes into Halloween week as fans say 'it's terrib
Iran nuclear facilities not 'impacted' in Israel strikes: UN nuclear watchdog
Kemi Badenoch tells Reform voters to 'come home'
Strictly Come Dancing fans say 'wow' as they swoon over Nikita Kuzmin's new look
Flash flood warning in effect for all Hawaiian Islands. Details here
