Protection of monuments: State govt gets time to file reply on removal of encroachments
The petitioner had sought directives from the court to protect the historical monuments of the city and remove encroachments from them.
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court granted the state government more time to file a further affidavit (reply) regarding the removal of encroachments and notices issued to encroachers in the premises of protected monuments in Lucknow city.
The court also allowed an application seeking impleadment of Hussainabad & Allied Trust, Lucknow, through its chairman, additional district magistrate (city) Lucknow, as a party-respondent in the case regarding the protection of monuments in Lucknow. The court allowed the counsel for the respondent Trust to complete his instructions or file a reply by March 29.
This order was passed by a division bench consisting of chief justice Arun Bhansali and justice Jaspreet Singh on March 18 in response to a PIL filed by local lawyer Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvi in 2013. The petitioner had sought directives from the court to protect the historical monuments of the city and remove encroachments from them. Previously, the court had issued several directives to the relevant authorities regarding this matter.
Vide order dated September 19,2023, the senior registrar of this court was directed to submit a report as to the progress of the meetings held, if any, in furtherance of the orders passed by the court from time-to-time.
“Despite the passing of the said order and its reiteration on 18.03.2024, it appears that the order has not been brought to the notice of the senior registrar. Accordingly, the office is directed to immediately bring the said order to the notice of the senior registrar of this court, who is directed to take the necessary action in terms of the orders passed,” the court ordered.
The counsel for the state also requested and was granted time to file a further affidavit regarding the submissions made regarding the removal of encroachments and the notices issued to the encroachers in the matter. Passing the order, the court directed that the petition be listed for the next hearing on March 29.
