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MCD serves notices to illegal squatters around Jama Masjid

Staff Reporter

Vacate the area within three days or face anti-encroachment proceedings

NEW DELHI: With public notices in daily newspapers failing to produce the desired results, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has now served notices to over 300 illegal squatters and encroachers in and around the historic Jama Masjid in the Walled City of Delhi to vacate the area within three days, failing which the civic body is likely to launch its anti-encroachment drive from Tuesday.

The move comes after the Delhi High Court issued strict orders last month fixing September 15 as new the deadline for removal of all illegal encroachments and unauthorised constructions that are threatening the heritage status of the old mosque. The Court had warned that if the deadline was not met this time, it would infer that there was a wilful disobedience of the order.

Fear of contempt of court

So fearing contempt of court proceedings against senior civic body officials, the entire administration has now swung into action and is preparing strategies on how to take action if the notices fail to deter encroachers and squatters. The Court has directed the MCD, the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi police and the Delhi Wakf Board to file a joint status report about implementation of the order on the next date of hearing on September 21.

Significantly, the civic body has failed to clear illegal constructions and encroachments in and around the historic monument despite orders to this effect by the Court in 2000 and 2002, besides passing subsequent orders for implementation of the same. The court has been hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Heritage & Cultural Forum, a non-government organisation run by a Delhi High Court lawyer, seeking a direction to Archaeological Survey of India to declare the mosque a protected monument.

According to civic body officials, if the illegal squatters fail to comply with the notice, they would be forcibly removed and all the encroachments demolished. The exercise is part of the MCD's move to decongest Old Delhi , they said. Only last week, hawkers in Chandni Chowk were removed after a Court order, while drives to remove illegal encroachments had been going on in the Walled City for the past few months.

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