Remove All Religious Structures Encroaching On Roads: Allahabad High Court

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to remove or shift religious structures “in any form” which encroach on public roads including sideways.
It asked the state government to ensure that no religious structure in any form, whatsoever, shall be allowed or permitted to be raised on public roads including highways, streets, pathways and lanes and warned that any violation will be considered as criminal contempt by administration and police officials.
A Lucknow bench of justices Sudhir Agarwal and Rakesh Srivastva said religious structures raised after January 2011 that encroach on public roads will be removed forthwith and a compliance report shall be submitted by concerned district magistrate to the state government within two months. Those raised earlier should be shifted to private land or removed within six months.
It gave the directions yesterday while disposing of a writ petition filed by 19 locals against alleged encroachment of public pathway land in Mohalla Dauda Khera in Lucknow by construction of a temple.
The court said it should be ensured that “no religious structure in any form, whatsoever, shall be allowed/permitted to be raised on public road (including highways), street, pathway and lane, including sideways which is part and parcel of road and belong to the state”