SRINAGAR The government on Tuesday told the Jammu and Kashmir High court that it has decided to challenge the J&K State Tribunals orders, legalizing huge constructional violations at Sonamarg health resort in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice D S Thakur also granted three weeks time to the government to finalize the master plan for the Sonamarg.
As soon as the proceedings of the PIL started , amicus curie told the court that huge constructional violations have been compounded by the Tribunal.
In response to his submission, the state counsel informed court that in a meeting of BOCA under the chairmanship of (former) Chief Minister, it was decided that huge penalties should be imposed for huge deviations. However, he said, the violators approached the J&K State Tribunal and got the violations compounded. He said the on sooner violations were brought to the notice of BOCA, notices were issued to the violators. He said that orders will be challenged before the higher forums,
Meanwhile, the court asked the government to finalize the master plan for Gulmarg within three weeks. The state counsel however told the court that prior to revisiting the Master Plan, environment impact assessment report was required for which Kashmir University was consulted. The KU has now submitted the report, he said. The division bench also granted three weeks to Sonamarg BOCA for considering the Armys application, seeking to carry out repairs of high altitude warfare School.
The High Court has already banned till further orders all constructions in Sonamarg area of central Kashmirs Ganderbal district.
We have noticed that constructions are taking place in Sonmarg. We direct that no construction shall be carried till further orders, the division bench had said.
If you allow constructions, everything is gone then. You people are going to ruin the natures beauty. Whole area of Sonamarg is being commercialized. Save it from further destruction the court had observed.
The court was hearing a PIL which deals with safeguarding of water bodies especially River Jhelum.
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