The Hindu 12.01.2011
Officials inspect illegal religious structures
Clear structures in two days, management committees told
A team of officials, led by Deputy Commissioner Harsh Gupta, inspected nearly 20 illegal religious structures here on Tuesday.
The Deputy Commissioner held discussions with heads and
representatives of the management committees and the trusts of the
places of worship and reportedly told them to clear the illegal
structures in two days, failing which the administration would remove
them.
Mr. Gupta was accompanied by Mysore City Corporation
Commissioner K.S. Raykar, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA)
secretary Vidya Kumari and assistant commissioners of all MCC zonal
offices.
During the inspection, the officials told a group of
residents at BEML Nagar, who objected to the proposed eviction of a
place of worship in their locality, that they had been directed to carry
out the task as per the law.
Mr. Gupta drew attention to the Supreme Court’s
directive that all illegal places of worship across the country had to
be cleared.
He said that notices had been issued to 210 places of worship and ‘aralikattes’.
The district administration may take up a drive against
illegal shrines after Makara Sankranti on January 15. It will be
conducted in two phases.
The district administration had held meetings with
trustees of places of worship, which had been categorised as
“unauthorised” and sought their cooperation.
On the instructions of Mr. Gupta, the MCC had conducted a
survey and had identified 210 places of worship constructed in
violation of the law.
