The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) to demolish its own ward office in the Bangala Colony area of Sanjauli, (Shimla) citing encroachment on forest and government land.
Passing a stern order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding encroachment and illegal construction on forest and government land in Bangala Colony, near Sanjauli, the court has also directed the removal of illegal structures built on 23 plots of forest land and 10 plots of the MC.
A division bench of HP High Court comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi ordered the Shimla Municipal Corporation to demolish its own ward office—which was constructed without an approved building plan—and to restore the land to its original state.
In its order the High Court said, “The accountability of the concerned officials responsible for not taking action against the encroachment and illegal construction has to be fixed and instructed that the land records (mutation) for the forest land be registered in the name of the Forest Department”.
The court remarked, “The protectors themselves have become the destroyers and unauthorized construction by the very agency responsible for enforcing regulations cannot be overlooked.”
