The Aurangabad division bench of the Bombay High Court has questioned the administration about the action taken on encroachments in the CIDCO area, as per the court’s directives. The bench warned that if no action has been taken, the administration should be prepared for contempt proceedings.
The bench, consisting of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice YG Khobragade, directed the corporation to take legal action against encroachments of religious places on the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University premises during a hearing on four different petitions.
Regarding encroachments in the CIDCO area, the bench instructed the amicus curiae to report on the actions taken concerning the encroachments. If the court’s directives have been breached, the administration should be ready for further action.
The bench observed that CIDCO, established to create cities like Chandigarh, had failed to do so. Despite several court orders against encroachments in the CIDCO area, CIDCO had neglected these issues. The amicus curiae, Adv Abhay Ostwal, has been directed to submit a report on whether the court’s orders are being followed.
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Four petitions have been submitted in the court. CIDCO had acquired land in CIDCO N-4, declaring it an award. The land was agricultural, not a building. In 1984, a 2,400 square feet plot was taken by Momin Mustafa, who obtained construction permission. CIDCO leased the residential plot for 60 years. However, the owners constructed a religious monument on the plot and installed a loudspeaker. It was shown that the plot had been donated, but property on lease cannot be donated. CIDCO administration had neglected this issue. Residents Adv Jagdish Toshniwal, Adv. Sanket Kulkarni, Mohan Bomble, and Adv VG Salunke presented their case. The bench has granted two weeks for action on the matter.
In response to other petitions, the bench directed the administration to address commercial activities on residential plots. Adv Anil Bajaj, on behalf of CIDCO, informed the court that CIDCO can grant permission for commercial use of residential plots in some cases, with the earlier scale being 15 per cent.
Prithviraj Chavan meets Jarange
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday met Maratha activist Manoj Jarange in Jalna and said the Eknath Shinde government must take a decision on quota demands of the community soon.
It was a courtesy meeting to inquire about Jarange's health as he had come to Satara some days ago and had fallen ill, former chief minister Chavan said.
"I wanted to meet him in Satara but could not as he left early. So I have come here to Antarwali Sarati. He has been agitating for the Maratha community. I asked about his health. He is leading a selfless agitation," Chavan said.
"While the Mandal Commission and Kaka Kalelkar Commission did not consider the Marathas as backward, the community is part of the Other Backward Classes segment in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. So we (Congress-NCP government) decided to give them 16 per cent reservation," Chavan said.
"We asked the state OBC commission to find out the ground reality about the community's backwardness but it refused, claiming the community does not need a quota. Landless labourers and those with small plots are in distress and finding it tough to spend on education. If they get reservations, they will have some hope of getting government jobs," the Congress leader added.
Chavan said the reservation given to the Maratha and Muslim communities by the Congress-NCP government in July 2014 was not taken forward by the next government (of the BJP-Shiv Sena under Devendra Fadnavis).
"We attended two meetings called by the chief minister on the quota issue. But being in government, they must take a decision now," he asserted.
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Man Held in Latur for Molesting Minor
A man was arrested under the POCSO Act for allegedly molesting a 4-and-half-year-old girl in Latur, a police official said on Thursday.
The incident took place last week in a village in Chakur tehsil when the child had gone to the 20-year-old accused's house to play, he said.
A case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered on the complaint of the child's mother, he said.
Meanwhile, the women's wing of Congress' Latur unit on Thursday held a protest in connection with the sexual assault on two minor girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district.
On August 12 and 13, a male attendant allegedly assaulted two four-year-old girls in the school's washroom. An FIR was only lodged on August 16, and the accused was arrested the following day.
The protesters gathered at Gandhi Chowk here holding banners and shouting slogans seeking justice for the victims and also admonishing the state government for rising crimes against women.
They submitted a memorandum to the authorities and sought special safety measures in schools and colleges to prevent such incidents.
