High Court of H.P. today directed the Municipal Corporation Shimla to maintain status quo

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA-------The High Court of H.P. today directed the Municipal Corporation Shimla to maintain status quo on the issue of temporary structure of the Cricket Academy at Lalpani, Shimla.

 The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition filed by Sh. Surinder Singh Thakur, Vice President of the HPCA.

The petitioner has moved High Court against the notice dated 01.09.2014 of the Shimla Municipal Corporation to demolish the temporary structure of the Academy at Lalpani on the ground that the area falls under the green belt. The Corporation had issued a Show cause Notice as to why the temporary structure be not demolished on 8th October 2013 and the Municipal Commissioner had passed orders on January 8, 2014 to demolish the structure. The appeal of HPCA against this order was dismissed on August 1, 2014 by the Court of Addl. District Judge, Shimla.

The petitioner has stated that the temporary structure was built after obtaining necessary sanction and permission from the Conservator of Forests, Govt. of India and after the express permission of the State Government. The petitioner has also submitted before the Court that on applying for building of permanent structure in the year 2010, the Single Umbrella Committee had rejected the plan in the year 2011 on the ground that the area falls within green belt and a revision petition in the matter is still pending.

The Court directed the Corporation to file reply before September 16, on which date the matter is listed again.