HC rejects state's encroachment stay

RANCHI: In a major setback to the state government, the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday rejected the state plea for an interim stay on anti-encroachment drive for four weeks on humanitarian grounds.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Bhagwati Prasad and Justice PC Tatia termed the modification petition of the state as without vision and asked for detailed comprehensive application in the next three weeks.
Court was hearing a PIL filed by one Rajneesh Mishra on rampant encroachment and rising traffic problems in the state capital. Advocate General Anil Kumar Sinha, appealing for the state, said the government has tried to implement the orders of the court as much as possible.
The Chief Justice reminded that the order for removal of encroachments had been first passed in 2003 and then in 2006 and recent orders were only consequential orders.
Sinha appealed that in a recent cabinet meeting, a three member committee headed by development commissioner Debashish Gupta has been formed to form the comprehensive rehabilitation policy and for that three to four weeks time is needed.
The division bench rejected the application and asked for a comprehensive petition after three weeks stating the road map of rehabilitation, design and details of resources and how the state desires to execute the orders of the High Court.