NEW DELHI: The survey and subsequent notification of 2,183 roads for mixed land and commercial use under the September 7 and 15 notifications of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Government has come under scrutiny after it emerged that "corruption" had led to inclusion of even those areas and roads that do not qualify for such a benefit under the law.

Not only this, it has now emerged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi showed undue haste and failed to follow the proper procedure for carrying out the survey and then notifying these roads and areas, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the whole exercise.

After the Supreme Court had taken a serious note of blatant violation of the law and misuse of residential properties, the Union Urban Development Ministry had come out with a notification on mixed land and commercial use on September 7. Thereafter the MCD had gone ahead and notified 2,183 roads and areas under the mixed land and commercial use category claiming that it had carried out a proper survey to identify the roads before the notification was issued. "Even the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee had come across a large number of such cases but did not file any kind of report on the issue. There have been instances where roads having about 10 per cent and in some cases even two per cent commercial activity had been notified as fully commercial roads. This is not going to be taken lightly if it comes to the notice of the Supreme Court," a senior official remarked.

The haste and speed at which the Corporation and its political wing went ahead and notified the new roads led to accusations of wrongdoing. It is learnt that complaints have been flowing from the traders and some market associations that the areas councillors and officials had promised to notify their roads in return for monetary benefits. "During the time these roads were being identified and then included in the list for being notified, the Town Hall office and also the Ambedkar Stadium office of the MCD was flooded with individuals and businessmen trying to grease palms to get their roads included in the notification with the hope of getting past the rule of law by hook or by crook," said a senior official.

"The issue is beyond the jurisdiction of the Monitoring Committee although it has insight into all the wrong things that have taken place during the notification of these roads. The brief of the Committee is to implement the Court orders and whenever directions on scrutinising these roads come, we will comply with them. But the Monitoring Committee officials did not rule out bringing the matter to the notice of the Court," the official added.

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