Mathura admin issues notice to activists to vacate park

Mathura district administration has issued a notice to an activists' group asking them to vacate within 48 hours the "hundreds of acres of government land" on which they have allegedly encroached.
"Vacate the land of Jawahar Bagh by 5 PM on April 16, failing which you would be dispossessed by force," said the notice issued by City Magistrate Vijai Kumar to Swadheen Bharat Vidhik Satyagrahis.
A group of people have been illegaly occupying Jawahar Park, which falls under the Horticultural Department of the UP government, and attempts by its officials to get them dislodged have failed.
The "squatters", who are seeking farmer-friendly policies for the past several months, have refused to leave.

The notice said the activists are not only making a mockery of the law but are also "openly displaying arms".
The city magistrate instructed the Sadar Bazar SHO to serve the notice to aforesaid persons.

The notice was issued following a PIL filed by Vijai Pal Singh Tomar, the then President of Bar Association Mathura, in Allahabad High Court.
The court had on May 20, last year ordered that "The Principal Secretary (Home), District Magistrate, Mathura, and Senior Superintendent of Police must take all necessary steps and precautions to ensure that a public park is not allowed to be encroached upon in this manner."

Before issuing the notice, the district administration also took a stock of the situation at the park yesterday using a drone camera.
"We have sought extra force," District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Tomar said, "Upon a failure by the state government to implement the orders of the high court, I had moved a contempt application against the home secretary, DM and SSP Mathura on which the order is pending.