Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday rejected two review petitions filed by two religious organizations seeking a relook at its January 2011 orders on demolition of illegal places of worship. The Division Bench of Justice Madanmohan Das and Indrajit Mohanti, adjudicating over the matter, did not make any further observation while rejecting the review petitions.
Soon after the High Court order, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Central Division Arvind Padhee reviewed the situation with the district officials and gave a clear direction that the demolition drive against the illegal places of worship shall be taken up without break until the last illegal structure is grounded. The RDC is also learnt to have given another direction to the concerned departments to ensure that re-encroachment of evicted areas are prevented.
"Otherwise, we will have no option other than asking the concerned departments to bear the cost of the eviction of re-encroachment," Padhee said. The district administration has identified at least 207 such places of worship, which have come up illegally on government lands and creating civic problems. The administration, equipped with HC order and HC-guided police enforcement, began the demolition act from May 1, 2013 and by now, four temples have been grounded despite a massive public outcry....
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02:46 AM, May 08, 2013
