Tripura to check religious structures on government land

Tripura's ruling Left Front government has asked district magistrates (DM) to survey unauthorised construction of religious structures and take suitable steps, a minister said here Wednesday.

"The council of ministers, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Tuesday, framed rules barring the construction of religious structures on government land and by the roadsides," PWD and Revenue Minister Badal Chowdhury told reporters.

These structures have been sprouting on government land and by the roadsides.

The minister said the government asked all the eight DMs of the state to submit reports at the earliest.

"After receiving the reports from the DMs, the government would explore ways and means to take administrative and legal action to clear encroachments and unauthorised religious structures," Chowdhury added.

He said: "The rules - the Tripura unauthorised religious structure construction survey and its regularisation, relocation and removal rules, 2013 - were framed in view of the Supreme Court directives."

The apex court, in its 2009 verdict, said no construction should be carried out or permitted in the name of temple, church, mosque or gurudwara on public streets, public parks and other public land.

The Supreme Court had directed all states to frame a state policy and rules regarding prevention of unauthorised construction of temple, church, mosque or gurudwara on public streets, public parks and other public land.