Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 12 : A Division Bench of J&K High Court directed government to file status report within three weeks status report about the finalization of Rules regarding stone quarrying in the state.
The direction was passed by a division bench of Justice Virender Singh and Justice Hasnain Massodi after advocate Z A Shah, senior Advocate draw the attention of the court to its order on 08.04.2014, in which, Financial Commissioner, Industries & Commerce Department, had filed the Compliance Report, stating therein that the finalization of Rules was at its final stage and that the matter was before Chief Minister. It was further stated in the compliance Report that a meeting under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary was held which was attended by various officers and that certain decisions were taken in the meeting
"With regard to the progress vis-a-vis decisions taken by the Committee headed by Chief Secretary, no further inputs have been provided to the Court till date in the form of Status Report.
It appears to us that the matter is being delayed without any reasonable cause and requires attention of the State at the earliest," the court said and asked the Advocate General to file a comprehensive Status
Report in this regard before the next date of hearing in the PIL-Sofi Arif Maqbool Vs state.
Meanwhile, the court asked Deputy commissioner Pulwama to file better status report regarding quarrying the in the district. Earlier, the court also took on record Status Reports filed by DCs of Ramban, Jammu and Samba. All other Deputy Commissioners including Baramulla, Kulgam, Band-ipora, Kargil, Kish-twar, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch have already filed status reports, stating that no stone quarry is in operation in demarcated forests, kahcharti and Shtmilat land.
The Division Bench was hearing a PIL filed by one Sofi Arif Maqbool, a resident of Kupwara, seeking an end to quarrying in forest demarcated areas in the state. |
