The Meghalaya High Court has directed the State government to strictly follow the new guidelines to regulate constructions and other activities in and around Umiam Lake and other water bodies in the State.
While disposing of a PIL, the division bench of Chief Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh in its order passed on February 19 said that the guidelines are to be followed by the State government “in letter and spirit.”
The guidelines said that if any public property is identified /retrieved on the orders/intervention of the High Court, a permanent steel display board with bar code and case number must be displayed at vantage points at such sites.
It further said that such identified places should be displayed at all relevant government websites, so as to prevent others from dealing with public property.
“Hawking and parking must not be allowed at such regained public sites except in accordance with law. No permission should be given to use the site as auto/taxi stand, causing hindrance to the general public or traffic at large except authorised. No one has the right to put up temporary or permanent structures either in the site or on pavements/footpaths, if any, without any permission of the concerned authorities. If there is any unauthorised construction thereon, the authorities must take rapid action to dismantle the same,” the court said.
Warning government officials who fail to abide by the order, the High Court said, “If there is any failure on the part of the officials, who are responsible to follow the above guidelines, departmental action can be initiated against them and their dereliction can be entered in their service registers so as to deprive their promotion.”
