Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: The State High Court today issued non-bailable warrants to erring engineers of Irrigation and Flood Control Department and show cause notice to Deputy Commissioner Anantnag for failing to remove encroachments from the banks of river Jhelum and other water bodies.
Court pulled up DC Anantnag and issued show cause notice to him for violating the earlier court directions wherein he was directed to submit the fortnightly Action Taken Report before the Registry of the court about the removal of encroachment along water bodies coming under his jurisdiction.
“Registry to issue show cause notice to Deputy Commissioner Anantnag to explain as to why proceedings under law may not be initiated against him for violating the court orders”, directed the Division Bench of Justice MH Attar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey. The court has asked the DC to file the reply to show cause notice within one week.
Court while observing that DC has not complied with the court order and reiterated that he was given on last date of hearing three months time for removing the encroachments when he was present before the court along with DC Pulwama. He was also directed to report the registry fortnightly about the action taken against encroachers.
Court had also issued show cause notices to 53 engineers of Irrigation and Flood Control Department explaining before the court that why costs of Rs 25 lakhs may not be imposed on each of them for absolute dereliction of their duty in protecting the water bodies from encroachments in Kashmir valley.
While some of the engineers have filed their response to the show cause notice and some engineers through their counsels have sought time for filing response and court allowed their request and granted week’s time for it.
Court directed registry to check whether all engineers against whom show cause was issued have filed response to the notices and thereafter issue non-bailable to those who may have not filed reply to the warnings.
“Registry shall thereafter issue non-bailable warrants in respect of those engineers who may have not filed response to the show cause notices”, reads the order of DB.
Court has passed direction against these engineers after observing that it is because of their dereliction of duty and being hand in glow with the encroachers, the water bodies are near to extinct.
Advocate General Jehangir Ganai has also sought time to give response to direction passed earlier wherein he was asked to inform the court on next date as to how and in which manner the water bodies are being protected after removal of encroachments and will be protected in future.
Court has taken serious view in the instant PIL about shrinking and dying of water bodies because of insatiable human greed and already made observations in this regard.
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