- The Bench asked all the state and UT governments to review case-by-case such structures that had already come up.
- It directed the heads of each district (collectors, magistrates or deputy commissioners) to file status reports to their respective chief secretaries.
- The order was issued after hearing a petition that has challenged the Gujarat HC order directing the Municipal Corporations to demolish all illegal structures on public roads.
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New Delhi, September 29
The Supreme Court today directed all the states and the Union Territories not to allow construction of places of worship, be it gurdwaras, temples, churches or mosques, on government land, particularly roads.
A Bench, comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and MK Sharma, passed the order, also asking all the state and UT governments to review case-by-case such structures that had already come up, encroaching upon public land.
Directing the registry to serve notices on all the states and UTs within three days in view of the gravity of the situation which had "far-reaching consequences," the Bench said the heads of each district (collectors, magistrates or deputy commissioners) to file status reports to their respective Chief Secretaries.
The Chief Secretaries, in turn, would directly apprise the apex court of the steps taken for keeping government land free from such encroachments, the Bench said.
The Bench issued the order after hearing a petition that has challenged the May 2006 Gujarat High Court order directing the Municipal Corporations in that state to demolish all illegal structures on public roads.
The court's move came after Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanium informed the court that Union Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai had held a meeting with chief secretaries from the states on September 17. There was a consensus at the meeting for taking steps to prevent the sprucing up of such structures and the removal of the existing buildings.
Ruling that the district heads would ensure "total compliance" of the court order, the Bench made it clear and directed the states' counsel to be present at the time of next hearing on December 7. The chief secretaries would have to file their reports within eight weeks. Appreciating the prompt action taken by the SG in the matter, the court asked him to also suggest a permanent mechanism in consultation with all the states and UTs for dealing with the situation.
