Times of India: Ajmer: Monday, February 6, 2017.
In response to the PIL filed by renowned academician of Ajmer and retired professor of political science Tripti Jain, who's been fighting against encroachments in the name of religion, the court issued notice to the district collector along with members involved in illegal construction.
The matter belongs to Shastri Nagar extension region of the city, one of the posh colonies here. Eighty-year-old Jain, relied on the proceedings of the Supreme Court, under which the state government in 2009 had given an undertaking that no construction in the name of religion will be allowed in the state, and that all district collectors will implement the same in their jurisdiction.
Jain had filed the PIL in 2016 in the high court through her advocate Vimal Choudhary stating that construction work for a hall had started in Shastri Nagar extension along side the already existing temple. "A temple and a hall were already constructed on a public road, with construction of another floor of the hall having started in 2016," said Jain. Jain collected all land related documents under the RTI Act and found that the construction was illegal.
"I approached the district collector many times but to no avail, with even Ajmer development authority and municipal corporation keeping their eyes close on such encroachment," she said.
The district collector has the authority to remove any such construction under Religious Places Construction Control Law 1954. "The papers that came to us from RTI revealed that the no authority has allotted the land to this Sidheshwar Mahadev Temple Sammiti and there was no map approved by any government authority, which made it clear that construction was illegal," said Jain.
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