Keypoints:
- An issue released by the home department said that no structure or construction of religious nature should be allowed on public roads, streets, pavements and by the roadside.
- The issue also added that it any structure/constructed comes up on January 1, 2011 or after, it should be removed immediately.
- In compliance with the high court, these decisions have been issued by the government, said the release.
The government of Uttar Pradesh has directed that since the year 2011, any structure or construction of religious nature that has been made on public roads and pavements should be removed immediately.The home department has directed the district magistrates (DMs)and Mandalayukta of all the districts to remove all the religious places that encroach the roads.
The issue released by the home department said that no structure or construction of religious nature should be allowed on public roads, pavements, streets and by the roadside. The issues also added that, “if any such structure/construction has come up on January 1, 2011 or after, it should be removed immediately.”
The release also added that all the senior administrative and police officials at the district level have been told that if any religious structure/encroachment had been done on public road including highways before January 1, 2011, it should be shifted to the land offered by the followers of that religion or private land proposed by the persons responsible for its management which shall belong to their community within six months or will be removed.
Disobedience to this decision will be taken as deliberate contempt of orders of high court and will be considered as criminal contempt.It also states that in case of any deviation or disobedience of these instructions, the officials concerned will be personally held responsible.All district magistrates have been asked to submit a report by March 14 updating the status on the number of religious places removed after the order.
The Supreme court had further stated that everyone has the right to walk and God never intended to obstruct the path meant for the people. “Why shouldn’t these structures go,” questioned a bench comprising SC Justices Gopal Gowda and Arun Misra.
