The Hindu : New Delhi News : Crackdown on Walled City encroachments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Crackdown on Walled City encroachments

Staff Reporter

Bulldozers pull down over 200 illegal structures in Jama Masjid area; more demolitions on Wednesday

OPERATION CLEAN UP: A policeman keeps watch on Tuesday as bulldozers of Municipal Corporation Delhi demolish illegal buildings, shops and food stalls at Indira Market and Coat Bazar Market near Jama Masjid in accordance with a Delhi High Court ruling . Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: Almost two weeks after the Delhi High Court ordered removal of all illegal constructions and encroachments around the historic Jama Masjid in the Walled City area, the anti-encroachment squad of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi accompanied by a large number of armed police personnel on Tuesday bulldozed over 200 illegal structures of the 319 that were served removal notices by the civic body a week ago.

The drive started in the morning after a large number of armed police personnel fanned out in and around the Jama Masjid area to avert any untoward incident and prevent people from launching any protest against the drive. Though a handful of affected shop owners did raise some slogans against the Congress-led Delhi Government, the encroachment drive passed off smoothly and by evening 218 structures had been removed.

Led by Deputy Commissioner (City Zone) Rahul Dua, senior MCD officials along with Delhi Development Authority and Delhi Wakf Board functionaries monitored the drive as almost 100 labourers and seven JCB earth excavators removed illegal structures. Of the three main markets identified for the drive, encroachments were removed today from Coat Market and Indira Market.

"By evening we had removed at least 218 structures from Coat Market and Indira Market almost clearing both the markets of encroachments. As the drive started, illegal shopowners and encroachers of the adjoining Fish Market themselves started demolishing illegal structures and shifting out their belongings. There are over 80 illegal structures in Fish Market and we have given them time till Wednesday morning to remove their belongings failing to which we will resume our drive," Mr. Dua said.

Stating that all debris would be cleared from the area on Wednesday, Mr. Dua said once the drive was over, people who have been issued tehbazaris would be allowed to sit in their allotted six-feet by four-feet area and no encroachment would be allowed.

However, affected shop owners alleged that MCD had failed to give them proper notice and before starting the drive in the morning, they were not even allowed to remove their belongings. Demanding strict action against guilty civic officials who failed to act while illegal constructions were done in the area, the shop owners said initially they used to pay Rs.540 per year for tehbazaris that was later increased to Rs.3,600, which itself proves that the civic body was well aware of all such constructions and even took annual fee for it. Significantly, Tuesday's drive was the fallout of last month's Delhi High Court order where it had fixed September 15 as the deadline for removal of all illegal encroachments and unauthorised constructions that have been threatening the heritage status of Jama Masjid.

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