Uttarakhand govt continues drive against 'illegal' religious structures

The Pauri district administration in Uttarakhand razed an over two-decade-old 'mazar' as part of the state government's anti-encroachment drive against illegal religious constructions, an official said on Monday.

Sub-District Officer (Kotdwar) Pramod Kumar said a public notice was pasted on the mazar, asking claimants to come forward within 15 days.

When no one submitted a claim, a joint team of the Forest department, police and local administration demolished the tomb of Baba Gayasuddin Aula-e-Karim Shah, Kumar said.

"Not submitting the claim means that this mazar was built illegally by encroaching on Forest department land," he added.

The mazar occupied more than two bighas.

A day before, the administration removed an illegal mausoleum from government land in the Satpuli area of Pauri district.

The government is also taking action to mark and remove illegal religious encroachments in forest areas under Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital district.

Reserve officials said a Forest department team demolished three illegally constructed religious structures in the Dhela range on Sunday. Earlier, illegal religious structures were removed from the Bijrani range of the reserve.

Corbett Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Digant Nayak said illegal religious constructions in forest areas are being identified and removed.

In Haridwar, the district administration on Saturday demolished a mazar and a temple allegedly built illegally on roads.

Ravi Bahadur and Furkan Ahmed, the Congress MLAs from Haridwar, on Monday met District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey to protest against the shrines' demolition without giving them time.

However, Pandey said the demolition of illegal religious constructions is being done on the orders of the Supreme Court and a week's notice is being given before they are demolished.

Former BJP MLA Sanjay Gupta, on the other hand, accused the Congress leaders protesting against the demolition of contempt of court and demanded their arrest.