LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order disallowing the construction of shrines on roads, lanes, footpaths, or along national and state highways.
These instructions have been issued by the government in compliance with the order of Allahabad High Court, said a state government release.
Officials, entrusted with the maintenance of roads and national highways, have been asked to check constructions related to any religion on roads and highways.
In a communiqué issued to all 18 divisional commissioners, 75 district magistrates, and all police officers, the state government has ordered that all such religious constructions made on public property after January 1, 2011, be identified and removed.
The communication from the state’s home department makes it clear that the constructions carried out before January 1, 2011, be shifted in a phased manner to the land offered by the followers of that religion or private land proposed by the persons responsible for its management which shall belong to their community within six months or it will be removed. It also states that in case of any deviation or disobedience of these instructions, the officials concerned would be personally held responsible.
The home department communication to administrative and police officials also made it clear that encroaching public land through such constructions won’t be allowed.
Disobedience of these orders will be taken as deliberate contempt of orders of the high court, which will be considered as criminal contempt, it said.