604 unauthorized religious structures have been removed: State to Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat government on Tuesday informed the Gujarat High Court that 604 unauthorized religious structures have been removed from public land/ streets/ spaces in the last two months in compliance with the Court's directions [Times of India (suo motu) v. The State of Gujarat and Others].

A Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi noted that out of the 604 religious structures, 318 were in district areas while 286 were in municipal corporation areas.

It further noted that 87 religious structures have been relocated and 6 have been regularized.

After taking note of the progress made by the State, the Court granted another two months to the State to bring before it further progress made in this regard.

The Court had on April 22 called upon the State government to explain as to why no action had been taken in compliance with a Supreme Court's order to remove unauthorized structures on public lands.

On July 22, the Court had granted two months' time to the State government to comply with its directions in taking all possible steps to remove and regularize unauthorized religious structures and encroachments.

Subsequently, the State Secretary of Home Department filed an affidavit bringing on record the steps taken for identification of unauthorized religious structures and action being taken for removal of such structures in a phased manner.

The same is done depending upon the actual ground reality, the magnitude of public hindrance caused due to such structures and the area covered by such unauthorized religious structures, the Court was told.

Advocate PR Abichandani appeared as amicus curiae and State Advocate General Kamal Trivedi represented the State.