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`Lal Dora is meant for villagers, not for building shopping malls'

Staff Reporter

High Court refuses to stay demolition of malls on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to stay the demolition of shopping malls - 1 MG Road and 2 MG Road -- built on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, saying that: "Lal Dora is meant for villagers and not for building shopping malls, hotels and restaurants".

A Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma, however, agreed to hear the petitions filed by affected businessmen of the two malls on certain legal issues regarding the application of building by-laws to constructions on Lal Dora land.

The Bench issued notices to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Government for February 16, the next date of hearing when the Corporation will file a status report on the progress of the demolition drive against unauthorised constructions in the city. "We want to make it clear that there is no stay on the January 18 order directing MCD to demolish commercial constructions like shopping malls, hotels and restaurants on Lal Dora land."

Reiterating that Lal Dora was meant for the village population, the Bench asked counsel for the petitioners to explain to the Court under what provisions of law they could raise commercial structures there.

"The unplanned, unrestricted and unchecked growth of these commercial establishments (on Lal Dora land) without adequate facilities for parking and roads has, as a matter of fact, affected life in the city," the Bench observed.

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