Mandi: Order to demolish mosque built without permission, 30 days time

Mandi, September 13: The Municipal Corporation has given an important decision amid the protests being carried out by Hindu organizations demanding the demolition of the mosque located at Jail Road in Mandi city. In this decision, the corporation has ordered to demolish all the structures built without permission and restore it to its old form. If the mosque committee does not demolish this structure within 30 days, then the Municipal Corporation will demolish it, but whatever cost will be incurred to demolish it will be reimbursed by the mosque committee.

Municipal Corporation Mandi Commissioner HS Rana, in his statement to the media after giving the decision after hearing on this matter today, said that the construction work of the new building of the mosque started in October 2023. The corporation had received a complaint about its map not being there, after which action was started on it. In urban areas, the map of building construction has to be approved under the rules of Town and Country Planning, only after which construction work can be started.

But the mosque committee did not do so and continued the construction work even after receiving repeated notices and erected a three-storey structure. To get to the bottom of the matter, the Municipal Corporation started hearing on it from July 27. Today, during the sixth hearing of this case, when the arguments of the mosque committee were not found appropriate, then an order has been issued to demolish the structure built without permission within 30 days. Under the orders, the mosque will have to be brought to its pre-October 2023 condition.

Let us tell you that till now only that part of the mosque was being demolished which was constructed on the land of the Public Works Department. But now under the new orders, the entire part of the mosque will have to be demolished because all the construction has been done without permission. But it is also worth noting here that the orders issued by the Municipal Corporation also have a provision to appeal to the higher authority within 30 days. If the mosque committee is not satisfied with the orders of the commissioner, then it can be appealed further.