The High Court Thursday sought the status reports on quarterly basis with regard to its directions on Sonamarg health resort including repairs of structures and implementation of Solid Waste Management Bye Laws.
Hearing on its own motion a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta directed the government to file status reports in terms of its orders on quarterly basis in a calendar year.
“The first such report should be positively filed on 15 January 2021, 2nd on 15 May 2021, 3rd on 15 September 2021 and the fourth on or before 30 December 2021,” the bench said.
In its earlier order, the court had directed that all the applications seeking sanction for repairs of any building in Sonamarg were required to be accompanied by an affidavit indicating that the applicant was not in illegal occupation of any public or forest land in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The court held that if the property was leased or licensed, then details of payments of the charges with copies of the receipts be also furnished with the application.
The applications, the court had said, were to be accompanied by self-authenticated copies of all documents establishing legal right of ownership, title and occupancy over the land on which construction, repairs or renovation is proposed.
While the court held that the application should be accompanied by a certificate from the Deputy Commissioner and DFO concerned that the land was not public or forest land, it had said that the copy of original sanctioned plan with all documents of original sanction, previous permissions for additions, repairs and renovation were to be presented.
The court had further said that the applicants was required to indicate complete details (including exact location) of what was proposed to be undertaken.
“If such a request is favourably considered, then on completion of the work, completed site plan with colour marking of work undertaken, videography and photos of the completed work should be submitted,” the court had said.
The court had said that the concerned authorities should undertake its inspections while the work was underway and after it was completed.
“In no case will permission be granted to persons having no right, title or interest to occupy the land in question,” the court had said.
The court had issued the directions after observing that under the shield of the permissions obtained, large-scale unauthorised constructions, expansions and encroachments are being affected.
“It is absolutely imperative to check this illegal activity as the unauthorised construction in this eco-fragile area is irreversibly damaging the environment,” the court had said.
The court had also directed the Chief Executive Officer, Sonamarg Development Authority and Housing and Urban Development Department to place before it the action taken reports pursuant to the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Bye Laws and details of fines which had been recovered under its provisions.