The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has demolished 18 out of 20 shrines constructed illegally under its jurisdiction. Now only Mahakali Temple at Khankhoje Nagar and Shitala Mata Temple at HB Town are left. The demolition of the Mahakali temple has been stayed till September 9 by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. Therefore, this temple will not be razed until the court’s next order. Sheetla Mata Temple will be demolished soon. For this, the civic body has sought two weeks time from the court.
Public interest litigation filed by Manohar Khorgade and Dr. Gajanan Jhad is pending in the court over the issue. Justice Ravi Deshpande and Justice Vinay Joshi heard the plea on Monday. On 19 September 2018, the court ordered a NMC level committee to re-survey the unauthorized shrines constructed before 29 September 2009, according to their 5 May 2011 rule.
The unauthorized shrines which were needed to be demolished were included in the ‘B’ group. After the survey and other legal process, the NMC level committee has put 121 unauthorized religious places in the ‘B’ group. Of these, 25-25 were failing under the jurisdiction of Nagpur Improvement Trust and Dr. Panjabrao Agricultural University, 22 under Railways, 20 NMC, 14 under State Government, 6 under PWD, 4 Defence and 3 under Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University jurisdiction. One shrine each was under MHADA and MSEDCL area.
The court has ordered to remove the unauthorised religious places under the jurisdiction of NMC, NIT and the state PWD. Necessary order will be given during next hearing in respect to unauthorised religious places on other lands.
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