By Our Staff Reporter
Udham Singh Nagar, 5 Dec: The Udham Singh Nagar district administration has halted construction work on two mosques in the Bajpur police station area, citing the absence of land ownership documents. The move follows the Supreme Court’s directive that no construction or repair of religious places can be undertaken without permission from the District Magistrate.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Pankaj Upadhyay shared that the ‘unauthorised’ construction was taking place at Madina Masjid and Noori Masjid in Sultanpur Patti bordering UP. Administrative officials halted the work and have sought documents to indicate land ownership and the documents regarding permission for the construction from the persons getting these construction done. The cleric of one mosque assured that the required documents would be presented by their lawyer, prompting Tehsildar Akshay Bhatt to order a halt to construction until then.
ADM Upadhyay also shared that both mosques are located near the Uttar Pradesh border and are suspected to be built on government land. The Madina Masjid Committee operates in Mohalla Adarsh Nagar, Sultanpur, and the land in question was reportedly willed by Akbari Begum to the committee but is not registered in the committee’s name. The Uttarakhand Waqf Board had instructed the committee to register the land in revenue records, but this has also not been done. Consequently, the ongoing construction has been stopped.
At the same time, Noori Masjid Committee also operates in Mohalla Adarsh Nagar. The President and Secretary of the committee provided unregistered donation records and uncertified Khatauni documents for the mosque but failed to produce any valid land ownership documents before the officials. Loudspeakers were also being reportedly used for religious activities and teaching purposes, even when the use of loudspeakers is now strictly prohibited.
Bajpur Police Station In-charge Naresh Chauhan has warned the mosque committees against continuing construction without proper approvals. If the directive is violated, an FIR will be lodged. The police administration has been instructed to remain vigilant regarding the matter.
