News: Delhi: Work of 14 years being undone, says sealing panel-12-11-2020
In its 10-page report, the committee expressed grave concerns over its work coming to a “grinding halt” after Supreme Court passed an order in August stating that its jurisdiction did not extend to residential properties.
NEW DELHI: Raising an alarm over the desealing drives and a “free for all” atmosphere for violations related to building laws and regulations, the three-member monitoring committee, which was constituted by Supreme Court in 2006 to check illegal constructions and misuse in the city, has submitted a report stating that all their work over the past 14 years was being undone.
In its 10-page report, the committee expressed grave concerns over its work coming to a “grinding halt” after Supreme Court passed an order in August stating that its jurisdiction did not extend to residential properties. All actions to restore the confidence of the public in the rule of law have come to a naught and Delhi was going back to pre-2006 days when “adherence to regulations had been given a complete go-by”, it added.
Properties were being desealed at will by the three municipal corporations and New Delhi Municipal Council. “Delhi is witnessing frantic activity of desealing of properties having unauthorised construction, misuse and allied illegal activities,” the report noted.
Concluding that these developments had “created an undesirable atmosphere of free for all”, the committee stated that it had eroded the confidence of law-abiding citizens in complying with rules and regulations of building activities. It added that its actions since 2006 had brought a change in attitude towards compliance with provisions of Master Plan of Delhi 2021.
The committee stated that it was a “mere bystander” to all these irregularities being perpetuated with impunity. Explaining why it came into existence, the report stated that the committee was appointed by Supreme Court on March 24, 2006 to oversee the implementation of law and sealing of offending premises. It had since filed 168 reports to the court.
The report went on to explain the reasoning behind its action in Mehrauli on the basis of which Supreme Court gave the order in August.
