The Uttarakhand state is doing a crackdown on illegally created madrasas and mazars. Recently, Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) sent a notice to the Madarsa Jami ul uloom in Sahaspur, located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
According to the authorities, a mosque is being built unlawfully on the grounds of the Madarsa, which was built in violation of the development authority’s standards.
Furthermore, a large water tank has been constructed on the site, which initially appears to belong to the Government Jal Nigam department. But, the information discovered states that the water tank was built unlawfully by the Madrasa Committee.
According to the reports, the installations: the madrasa, the mosque and the water tank were constructed in violation of the development authority’s construction guidelines in this region.
The Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) took cognisance of multiple complaints they received and sent notices to the operators for carrying out the development without prior approval or sufficient documentation.
In addition, the Tehsil administration has launched an investigation into the illegal construction of the madrasa and mosque on the property. The authorities are scrutinising land measurements and other documents.
The action was launched when people protested that the madrasa was built in violation of all construction laws and regulations. The madrasa was constructed illegally by encroaching on the land of the Barsati River, as per the complaint filed with the MDDA. The complainants said such religious places could only be established with the DM’s authorisation.
After the issue was brought to light when the village Tehsildar and Patwari and the village officer in the local authority who was in charge of measuring land and keeping land records visited the area, they assessed the land on which the madrasa was constructed.
During the inspection, the administrative team was informed that on the madrasa premises, a loudspeaker had also been installed, which was promptly removed.
The construction blueprints, map and other documents were not in place, and the authorities were notified about it. Following this, MDDA officials contacted madrasa managers to inquire about their responses.
It should be noted that this is not the first time MDDA officials have highlighted the issue with madrasa proprietors. In reality, they had previously sent them a notice requesting building plans, maps, and other documents but had yet to receive a response from the owners. Now after the complaint, a fresh notice has been sent.
