PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal has directed all municipal bodies and departments concerned to conduct a survey and identification of illegal religious structures within their jurisdiction and submit a written report within three days. He issued the instructions during a meeting held at the Collectorate on Wednesday, convened to review compliance with Supreme Court orders regarding the removal and relocation of unauthorised religious structures. Bansal instructed all municipal bodies, MDDA, tehsils and all government departments to re-survey their assets and mark any unauthorised or illegal religious constructions. He stated that departments must provide a written report even if no such structures are found, so that a consolidated report can be submitted to the State government. He warned that any negligence in this priority task will make the departmental officials concerned personally accountable. Bansal also directed departments to set deadlines for the removal of identified illegal structures and to ensure swift action. He stated that strict action will be taken against any illegal construction and that any irregularity will not be tolerated. During the meeting, the Irrigation department reported that five out of seven illegal constructions on the department’s land had been removed. Notices have been issued for the remaining structures on the Badripur Canal and Kargi Canal and removal is expected soon. The officials also informed that survey work at the tehsil level has been completed and reports will be submitted shortly. The Forest department officials stated that three unauthorised structures in reserved forest areas had already been removed and no illegal structures currently remain in forest zones.
