BHOPAL : With Simhastha behind it, the state government is planning to take stern action against religious places of worship built on encroached land.
The state government has to submit status report every three months in the Supreme Court on encroachments by religious places. A draft has been prepared by the state government on encroachments and has been sent to the law department. It would be sent to the cabinet after approval of law department.
In the draft, it has been recommended to form a committee headed by district collectors to identify encroachments made before and after September 29, 2009. The committee would decide on whether to regularise the encroachment or remove it. Collectors would send their recommendations to divisional commissioners. It is also proposed to remove religious places which are being used for other purposes. Besides, some religious places will be shifted.
Minister for religious affairs, Yashodhara Raje Scindia has approved the report of a committee of senior secretaries and forwarded it to law department.
The state government, in view of the strict stand of the Supreme Court on encroachments made after September 2009, is working on sorting out the issue. As far as regularisation of the encroachments is concerned, the religious structures older than thirty years will be firstly regularised. Religious structures constructed by encroaching upon public places will not be regularised.
Religious structures built after September 2009 will also not be regularised. The places where commercial activities are being run in the name of religious places will be shut down. Use of religious places for personal benefit will be prohibited in the new rules.
