‘Stop temple work on panchayat land’

The petition sought the court to direct the district administration to remove the idols and all other structures erected by private persons and to maintain the land as public park and promote its ecology and environment. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan on recording the submission of the government pleader seeking more time to get instructions, posted the case to September 26 for further hearing. 

G Pechimuthu, Secretary, Thondamuthur Panchayat Union People Awareness Welfare Association, in his public interest litigation had submitted that a plea moved in this regard in 2015 had the High Court directing the District Collector to ascertain as to whether the alleged encroachment on public land has been done with or without permission and take a decision within a month. 

Based on this, the Collector through an order on August 12, 2015 directed the Thasildar and Block Development Officer of the area to maintain the reserved space belonging to Perur Chettipalayam Panchayat as public park. But, contrary to this, till date the encroachments made by private individuals in the locality by installation of idols and other structures are yet to be removed, he added. 

He also submitted that the whole process was totally against a Supreme Court order which held that “Encroaching upon a place earmarked for public amenities, streets, parks, etc. is an illegality and that the same cannot be allowed to be continued just because the place has been converted into a place of worship by any person or even the general public.”