Shimla, Sep 12 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the municipal commissioner of Shimla to file an affidavit, within six weeks, about the number of encroachments in the markets, with explanation why each of these was not removed within a reasonable time.

A division bench of Chief Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh passed the order on a public interest litigation of Neelam Sharma on encroachments in Lower Bazaar, Ganj Bazaar and other markets in the town, once the summer capital of the British.

It also directed the commissioner to personally examine the issue of encroachments as well as the explanation offered by the occupants before taking any coercive action against violators as well as corporation employees for ignoring these, the judges said in the order, made available to the media Thursday.

The bench clarified that the pendency of the petition would not be an impediment for the corporation to take action against the unauthorized structures already identified by it.

The court will next hear the matter Oct 28.