Taxpayers’ money should not be used for construction of a building of religious nature, the Rajasthan high court said on Wednesday and directed that the proposed construction of a dargah at Mandore village in Jodhpur district shall remain stayed.
A division bench of justices Sandeep Mehta and Rajendra Prakash Soni was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Hariyali and Prakritik Paryavaran Vikas Sansthan, who questioned the legality and validity of the action of the Jodhpur Development Authority in trying to raise construction of a dargah at Mandore.
“Various grounds of challenge have been set out in the writ petition alleging inter alia that the project in question is being planned on the land which has been declared as forest area and thus, construction cannot be undertaken thereupon,” the bench observed.
The division bench directed additional advocate general Sandeep Shah to file an affidavit on behalf of the Forest Department stating whether any encroachments are existing on the forest land in question and steps taken to remove the same if any.
“We are of the prima facie opinion that taxpayers money should not be used for construction of a building of religious nature,” the bench said.
