Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 20: High Court has expressed its displeasure over the status reports filed by various Government Departments in response to court directions on Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on protection and preservation of famous Ski tourist resort Gulmarg.
A Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Hasnain Masoodi observed: “These Status reports are absolutely vague”.
The bench also took strong note of the authorities for not taking steps against the encroachers. “Nothing has been mentioned in affidavit with regard to those people who are simply encroachers on public land and the slackness on part of the authorities encourage them lawlessness”, the court observed.
Court also asked queries about the STPs of hotels, guest houses, and other structures belonging to Tourist Department and Forest Department and asked for filing of status report.
Court after perusal of status reports observed that 32 hotels are under the occupation of forces and they can’t be allowed to pollute the surroundings in absence of STPs.
With regard to those persons in whose possession the land in Gulmarg is in excess to what has been allotted to them, the court observed that they must pay penal rent and directed that the encroachers must be evicted.
Court also observed that no reports of Hotels in Jammu, Patnitop and Katra have been filed by the various Government authorities and asked the to file their status reports.
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