Ghaziabad administration shifts site for Kailash Mansarovar building

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Ghaziabad for the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims rest place here, the Ghaziabad district administration in a sudden move shifted the construction site from GT Road near Haj House to a new place.

The district administration sources said the new site in Shaktikhand (IV) has been chosen to avoid any controversy since the earlier site was found recorded as lake and flood plains in the revenue records.

District Magistrate Ministhy S. Nair said the Chief Minister's visit on Thursday will be unaffected and a symbolic foundation stone laying event would be attended by him at the public meeting venue.

The district administration sources said that the new site has been chosen in Shaktikhand (IV). The new site was chosen after a substantial portion of 5,193.06 sq mt land in the earlier place near Haj House was found recorded as lake and flood plains and as barren land. In both situations land use cannot be changed. So the site was changed. The construction would have been in violation of rules and court directives.

"The city Mayor Ashu Verma misrepresented the facts before the Chief Minister and passed the resolution in the board knowing that the land use of that portion can not be changed. I submitted a letter to the district magistrate on 20/7/2017 apprising her of all facts," said Akash Vashishtha, who filed the petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

--IANS

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