The Pioneer 23.11.2010
MCD acts but not against MLAs’ illegal structuresShikha Verma | New Delhi
After the death of 70 innocents in the building collapse incident in Laxmi Nagar a week ago, the MCD has initiated action against unauthorised constructions and has started demolishing them though it has failed to take action against the buildings whose plans were not sanctioned and unauthorised constructions by around 60 'Public Functionaries' for years.
According to the MCD report submitted before Delhi Lokayukta, these 60 public functionaries, including a Minister of the Delhi Government, 19 MLAs and 40 Municipal Councillors have unauthorised constructions on their properties without getting any sanctioned plan or permission.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) filed the report after Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin directed the MCD Commissioner KS Mehra to submit a report with regard to sanction of the plans in respect of the properties of 60 public representatives in February this year. The properties belong to a Delhi Government minister Dr. AK Walia, several MLAs and Councilors including Dr, Harshwardhan, Naseeb Singh, Narender Nath, Deepika Khullar, Mateen Ahmad, OP Babbar, Chaudhary Prem Singh, Veer Singh Dhingan, Ajeet Singh Choudhary, Ramakant Goswami, Jagdish Mamgain and others. In a report filed by MCD before Delhi Lokayukta, the agency mentioned the details of the properties of public functionaries.
The MCD in its report mentioned the name of the Minister, MLA, Councilor, address of the concerned property, whether the building plan was sanctioned or not, whether the construction carried out is compoundable or non-compoundable, any protection to the construction exists and remarks from the agency as what action should be taken. In the status report, MCD mentioned that Dr. Walia's property at Laxmi Nagar was regularized in 2007 and it has non-compoundable area of 41.81 sq. metres which is required to be demolished as it cannot be legalized even by paying a penalty.
Out of 60 properties, 50 properties do not hold any sanction plan of the building and have been in place from last several years. MCD mentioned in its report that there are various compoundable constructions which are required to be regularised.
"Action is required to be taken by the Zonal Office against some of the properties and some of the constructions in unauthorized colonies are protected under the Delhi Laws (Special) Provisions.
The places where the said public functionaries carried out unauthorized constructions includes Laxmi Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Shahdara, Gazipur, Uttam Nagar, Seelampur, Tagore Garden, Vikaspuri, Subhash Nagar, Tilak nagar, Hari Nagar, Patel Nagar, Mehrauli and Malviya Nagar. Justice Sarin's order came during an inquiry into whether a house owned by Vivek Vihar ward Congress councilor Preeti Behn at Jhilmil Colony in East Delhi is on encroached land.
Under the circumstances, Behn wrote to Justice Sarin on January 12 listing the names of 60 legislators and councilors who she claimed had carried out unauthorised construction in their houses.
