STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A Division Bench of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court comprising Justice Sanjay Dhar and Justice Akram Chowdhary, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on lack of parks & gardens in J&K, directed the Government to furnish a status report indicating follow up action that has been taken pursuant to the instructions issued by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir regarding physical and financial progress of the parks for financial year 2022-23 under their possession or maintenance.
DB also directed the Divisional Commissioner Jammu to also file a status report on the next date of hearing in terms of order passed on September 19, 2022, while posting matter for hearing on March 1. On September 19, the court had asked the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu as well as Kashmir to hold quarterly meetings with all stakeholders and authorities responsible for developing and maintaining various parks including heritage gardens so as to coordinate their working and submit their independent reports within a period of two months.
Court had passed the directions after a status report filed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir which was submitted before the court had asked all the stakeholders and concerned departments to submit the physical and financial progress of the parks for the financial year 2022-23 under their possession or maintenance within a weeks’ time. The concerned departments were also directed to erect ramps on the entry points of all the parks so as to ensure an easy access for specially-abled persons. Thereafter Divisional Commissioner Kashmir had further asked all the concerned departments to submit the status report to the office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir for its onward submission before the High Court.
DB after taking status report on record asked the counsels representing various government departments to file status reports indicating the follow up action that has been taken pursuant to the directions issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir in a status report submitted before it in terms of order passed by the court on September 19, last year observed that court had also put a blanket ban on constructions besides prohibited use of plastic and plastic material in all the existing parks, open spaces and green spaces in Srinagar and Jammu. Division Bench had further directed all the authorities maintaining those parks to see that no such plastic or plastic material is thrown in the parks or green spaces except in the dustbins which shall be cleared periodically.
It had further asked the authorities to take effective steps in accordance with law for the removal of all encroachments or unauthorized constructions from all parks and green spaces and ensure that no construction in the vicinity is raised without the proper permission/sanction of the map by the competent authority.
However, the bench allowed the authorities to undertake construction of sufficient washrooms and toilets at appropriate places to be earmarked by some expert in each of the parks and to construct proper pathways wherever feasible.
