The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD directed to start sealing drive soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD directed to start sealing drive soon

Staff Reporter

Direction comes from two-member panel set up by High Court

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi might soon begin sealing all ongoing illegal constructions or those that have come up after December 31, 2005. This direction came from the two-member monitoring committee set up by the High Court after the civic body officials told them that they were short of manpower and machinery to carry out the demolition drive on a large-scale in the Capital.

The committee members gave this direction during their visit to the congested Rama Road in the Karol Bagh zone on Wednesday evening. They were accompanied by the court commissioner and senior MCD officials. The MCD has been given two days' time to identify all those building on Rama Road that have come up after December 31, 2005, the cut-off date for being eligible for the one-year moratorium on demolition and sealing exercises as per the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006. The visit came after many complaints were received from the area regarding ongoing illegal constructions. The members surveyed the area and visited at least 10 buildings that were recently targeted by the civic body's demolition squads. Expressing displeasure over the slow pace of the demolition exercise, the MCD officials were asked to first carry out sealing of illegal structures and later demolish them as per the availability of manpower and machinery.

Regarding affidavits presented by various property owners of the area, the committee members pointed out that they were not sufficient proof of when the buildings had come up. The MCD will now check the records of the buildings pointed out by them, which will be followed by demolition of illegal structures in the area.

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