In a major embarrassment for the administration, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today minced no words to say that except for paying lip service, action on the ground against hotels and shopkeepers in the Golden Temple’s vicinity was not visible.
Justice Mahesh Grover also directed Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and three other official respondents to remain present in court.
Before parting with the case, Justice Grover fixed March 2 as the next date of hearing. The orders came after Justice Grover observed the affidavits filed by the respondents did not “satisfactorily explain any action taken against the defaulting hotels/shopkeepers in the area which is the subject matter of the writ petition”.
The developments took place on a contempt petition filed by Sarajit Singh Verka through counsel Rajvinder Bains.
In his plea, Verka contended the high court issued directions on June 3, 2011, to take action against illegal constructions near the Golden Temple. Again on July 20, 2012, directions were issued not to sanction building plans in and around the Galiara area of the Golden Temple. But the district and state authorities continued to allow illegal construction in the area.
The state government, on a previous date of hearing, had informed the high court that it had ordered Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and Municipal Corporation to demolish unauthorised hotels. At that time, 131 illegal constructions had been identified.
The high court had earlier directed the state government and the Amritsar Municipal Corporation to submit the report on action against the erring officials responsible for allowing hotels and guest houses to come up on the periphery of Galiara project and for delaying action against such hotels in violation of the municipal building by-laws.
The court had observed that the illegal construction of hotels and guest houses in Amritsar was a nuisance for the Galiara project near Harmandar Sahib.
