It added that the government should ensure that the local official in whose jurisdiction the religious structure comes up in an unauthorised and illegal manner should be punished for it.

Responding to the court's suggestions, Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam said: 'The government is seized of the matter at its highest level and trying to build a consensus among all states' to ensure that no religious structure comes up in public places.

The bench then adjourned the matter for next hearing Sep 29.

According to the government's lawsuit in the apex court, the high court had May 2, 2006 had ordered all municipal corporations in the state to demolish places of worship that obstructed traffic on roads.

The high court had taken suo motu action based on a newspaper report without verifying facts, said the government's lawsuit.

The high court order had been withheld two days later by a bench of erstwhile Justice Ruma Pal and Justice Dalveer Bhandrai as the central government rushed to it fearing severe law and order problem over the demolitions of religious places in Vadodara and other cities as per the high court order.