NEW DELHI: Even as Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit continues to insist on putting on the website the list of over 18,000 unauthorised structures against which a demolition drive is currently under way in the Capital, sources in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi claim that no such comprehensive or final list even exists. In fact, all the 12 civic zones are busy these days compiling a list of those properties against which it had served notices over the past five years.

During the hearing of the case related to illegal structures, the MCD had informed the Delhi High Court that there are 18,271 properties that have been identified for violations since 2001. The basis of the number of properties was information collected from its zonal offices. However, there is still no comprehensive list in place and sources reveal that all zonal offices were now busy preparing one fearing that the Court might ask for it in the next hearing scheduled for January 18.

According to a senior MCD official, when a property is booked, the name of its owner and its location is mentioned in a register, which is the first step of the process. Subsequently, a final list is to be prepared after action is taken against defaulters. "When the court asked about the status of illegal constructions in the Capital, the civic body reportedly collected the names of those booked since 2001 and 2005 from its zonal offices. However, it did not mention about the present status of these cases. In fact, it is this process which is currently under way," he said, adding that once this list is prepared, the number of violators could be below 18,000.

Interestingly, it seems that Ms. Dikshit, who has been pressing for trifurcation of the civic body for efficient management of the city's civic affairs, also has a hint about the "missing" list, and by demanding it be made public, she further wants to prove her point that it was high time that the MCD be made more manageable. "The Chief Minister and the Congress leadership in the MCD have been at loggerheads since the beginning of the drive. The absence of the list gives Ms. Dikshit an opportunity to put the civic body on the back foot," said a senior MCD official. Significantly, Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy has also agreed with Ms. Dikshit's proposal and demanded that the list be made public.

And in the absence of the list, the MCD, that has been facing the charge of adopting pick-and-choose policy in carrying out the demolition exercise, has diverted its attention mainly to under-construction illegal structures and was not touching old structures. Under pressure from politicians and public, demolition squads were only targeting upcoming illegal structures and have literally stopped touching old structures, sources said, adding that this was one of the reason why the drive slowed down within a week after it was started in mid-December last year.

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