The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested that the Himachal Pradesh government should take action against those officials who were posted in Kasauli when illegal constructions came up there and sought their names and designations.
A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta told the Advocate-General of Himachal Pradesh, “Unless you take action and remove four-five people from service, nothing will fall in line.”
The Advocate-General placed a status report saying the demolition of unauthorsied constructions in several hotels at Kasauli was going on in full swing and a committee of Public Works Department (PWD) officers has been formed to deal with difficulties that have cropped up during the demolition drive.
On May 1, Assistant Town and Country Planner Shail Bala Sharma was shot at by the owner of Kasauli’s Narayani Guest House when she had gone to supervise the demolition of unauthorised construction. She later succumbed to injuries.
Another government official accompanying her had sustained serious injuries. The accused was later arrested.
“You have said that the demolition work was under process. When will it be completed? We have said that the work be completed within 15 days,” the Bench said.
Senior advocate P.S. Patwalia, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, said the Himachal Pradesh High Court was dealing with issue related to illegal constructions in places like Dharamshala, McLeodganj and Kasol in the State.
The Bench asked the State to file a status report on the questions raised by it and posted the matter for hearing in the first week of August.
