Gorakhpur: The management committee of a mosque near Ghosh Company Chauraha began demolishing its top two floors on Saturday following an ultimatum from the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA), which had flagged the structure as unauthorized.
Fifteen laborers, aided by bulldozers, carried out the demolition after the mosque committee failed to obtain approval for the construction. The GDA had issued a 15-day notice warning of forced demolition if the unauthorized floors were not removed.
However, mosque committee head Shoeb Ahmad contested the GDA’s claims, asserting that the mosque was built with municipal board approval after the original structure was removed in January 2024.
“This land was officially allotted for religious purposes, yet the GDA is now calling it illegal,” Ahmad said, emphasizing that the mosque stands on a 520 sq ft plot designated for such use.
Despite this, GDA Vice Chairman Anand Vardhan maintained that the issue was not about land ownership but unauthorized construction.
“Without an approved construction plan, notices and actions are inevitable,” Vardhan stated, reinforcing the GDA’s stance that the demolition was necessary due to regulatory violations.
With PTI inputs