The Times of India  06.12.2010

NEW DELHI: The latest episode in the saga of MCD's inaction in case of unauthorized construction is of missing files.

Records of buildings regularized by a tainted junior engineer in Shahdara (south) zone are not available with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, according to senior MCD officials. The officials claimed that as many as 50 buildings were regularized by this official, some of them after termination orders were issued against him.

" The records of buildings regularized by former junior engineer (building), Shahdara (south) zone, Manoj Shah, and other officials from June to October are missing. The zonal office is trying to locate the records now. Since people paid a deposit for regularization, it should not be difficult to track down properties which were regularized during this period," said standing committee chairman, Yogender Chandolia.

Manoj Shah had been hired on contractual basis by MCD. " Several complaints were received against Manoj Shah on the basis of which he was disengaged from his contractual services," added Chandolia. Even as the process of terminating him from duty began in August, he continued to work till September and regularized several buildings during this period also, according to sources.

When MCD was questioned about these allegations , MCD commissioner K S Mehra said that the civic agency was " investigating the matter." All these matters came to light after the house collapse in Lalita Park several weeks ago. This incident claimed at least 70 lives. The civic agency is yet to submit its inquiry report on the collapse and has not initiated any action against officials in relation to the collapse . It has, however,started demolishing and sealing illegal properties all over Delhi.

" The areas where buildings were regularized during this period include Preet Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Yojna Vihar, Krishna Nagar, P D Vihar , etc. We will now have to check if all rules and regulations were followed when these buildings were regularized by these officials," said an official.

Widespread corruption in MCD's engineering department can be gauged from the fact that in 2003, approximately seven engineers in MCD who had chargesheets against them were given promotions after being given clearance from the vigilance department. Some of these engineers are still working in MCD.

" The vigilance department had cleared these officers from vigilance angle. Later on, it was brought to the notice of authorities that criminal cases had been registered against these engineers . When this matter was taken up by the chief vigilance officer (CVO) with the economic offences wing, he was told that chargesheets had been filed against these engineers in the year 2002-2003 . The case is under trial at present," said an MCD official . The promotions of these engineers were withdrawn thereafter along with all the benefits granted to them.

" The CVO is also investigating the matter so that appropriate action could be taken against those officials who recommended the promotion and also against those officials of vigilance department who gave 'no police case report' for the subject of promotion," added the official.