PRAYAGRAJ, May 15 -- The Allahabad high court has ordered a status quo on several houses facing demolition under the proposed Dalmandi road widening project in Varanasi, following allegations that the administration is planning to raze the structures without proper acquisition. The petitioners, including Shahnawaz Khan and several others, have alleged that there is an imminent threat of their constructions being demolished without the same having been acquired by the authorities. While fixing May 20 as the next date of hearing along with other petitions, a division bench comprising Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta granted one week's time to the state government's counsel to obtain instructions in this matter from the authorities concerned. The counsel for the petitioners submitted before the court that respondent state authorities are threatening to demolish the construction of the petitioner without the land and construction having been acquired for the proposed widening of the road. In its order dated May 9, the court, after hearing both sides, said, "In the meantime, having regard to the submission that there is imminent threat of construction being demolished without the same having been acquired, we direct the parties to maintain status quo till the next date." Several other petitioners have obtained a similar order of status quo. According to the petitioners, there are around 189 houses in the Dalmandi area, which shall remain protected after this interim order of status quo passed by the court. The counsel for the petitioner contended that the Varanasi district administration is preparing a report of compensation for all the houses. The Dalmandi project is worth more than Rs.100 crore, so cabinet approval is necessary. The district magistrate (DM)'s report will be sent to the state government, the counsel added. To ease the way to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the state government has decided to widen the Dalmandi road connecting the new road to Chowk by 17 meters (56 feet). About 189 houses are coming under the purview of the widening. According to the records, most of the houses coming under the purview of the widening are built on inhabited land. In protest of the widening of the Dalmandi road, half a dozen house owners/shopkeepers of Dalmandi have filed a petition saying that the entire market will disappear due to the width of the road being 17 meters. It is also said that threats are being given to demolish the houses without acquiring the land....