CM for new policy to regularise illegal religious structures

If not God,then at least Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has smiled on illegal religious structures in Mohali.

If not God,then at least Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has smiled on illegal religious structures in Mohali. The CM has asked to frame a policy to regularise such places,the demolition of which may hurt religious sentiments. Until the policy is formulated,no action will be taken on the demolition and eviction notices issued by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to at least 29 illegal religious places in different parts of the city.

The CM gave this assurance to a delegation of local religious leaders,led by SGPC member Hardeep Singh,which met him during his visit here on Monday. Singh told Newsline that the CM responded positively to the demand of regularising those religious structures constructed and used jointly by larger sections of the society.

We told him that most of the religious places,which have been issued GMADA notices,were existing for over two to three decades and were not the personal properties of individuals but the society on the whole, Singh said.

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The delegation also told the CM that besides offering religious services,such places are also actively involved in social services by providing education,healthcare and other services without any government aid.

It was recently that GMADA notices had united those managing such illegal religious places to demand regularisation. Strongly opposing the move,the Chandigarh zone of Punjab Taraksheel Society has urged the CM not to take any decision that might violate the apex courts directive.

In Mohali,court orders are violated with impunity as we have identified at least 38 illegal religious structures grabbing at least 25 acres of prime land worth around Rs 250 crore, said Society Media head Harpreet Lalkar.

The society demanded that action on GMADA notices should instead be expedited and all such encroachments on public land be removed immediately in the light of the SC order.

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