Jammu, Dec 22: In a Public Interest Litigation regarding illegal constructions at Patnitop, a Division Bench of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice M A Chowdhary today directed Senior AAG Monika Kohli to file status reports in respect of the remaining cases where charge sheets are yet to be filed.
CBI had already filed six charge sheets in connection with alleged grabbing of forest and agricultural land by hotels and guest houses in collusion with former CEOs of Patnitop Development Authority.
On December 31, 2019, Division Bench had directed Director Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct in-depth enquiry into encroachment on forest land and other public land; illegal change of use and misuse of the land in violation of the permitted user; raising of illegal constructions; failure of the authorities to take action; fix the responsibility of the persons who were at the helm of affairs, were duty bound to and responsible for their taking action; their failure to proceed in accordance with law on issues regarding several aspects relating to the illegal constructions compounding and misuse thereof and; any other illegality.
There is one more question on Tourism Dept/PDA for it self allowing illegal constructions as PDA is not revising its Master Plan since years & using Bye Laws of MP-2020, which is open violation of Development Act of 1970 & above all not clearing Building Permissions since more than one year, raised a pointer towards on Chairman of BOCA of PDA but above all on CEO of PDA for such an illegal act, needed to be acted upon.
It has been come to understand that after publications of Cross Town News, process of Revised Master Plan was initiated but running at a snails pace & 2nddly, so called Chairman of BOCA of PDA was constrained to conduct one meeting of BOCA & cleared some issues but till day despite lapse of months of meet, files of clearance are waiting for their fate in locker of CEO, PDA needed to be acted upon.
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