MP HC criticizes trend of illegal demolition of houses, orders action against officials
Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered the Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) to pay compensation of Rs 1 lakh to a petitioner whose houses were unlawfully demolished without due process.
Justice Vivek Rusia, while granting the compensation, directed the UMC Commissioner to take disciplinary action against officials involved in fabricating a panchnama. The Court also allowed the petitioners to seek further compensation through a civil court.
The Court criticised the trend of local bodies demolishing houses without following due process and publishing notices in newspapers. It emphasised that demolition should be a last resort after giving the house owner an opportunity to rectify the situation by obtaining regularisation.
The ruling came in response to a petition filed by Radha Langri seeking compensation for the demolition of her houses in Ujjain. The Municipal Corporation argued that the houses were constructed without proper permission, justifying their demolition.
However, the Court found discrepancies in the demolition process. It noted that the panchnama used to justify the demolition was fabricated and issued without a proper site visit. The Court also criticised the lack of verification from property tax records and the failure to serve notices to the rightful owners.
In its order, the Court directed the UMC to pay Rs 1 lakh to the petitioner and initiate disciplinary action against the involved officials. It also instructed the petitioners to apply for building permission or regularisation of their construction.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
