Indian Express 08.12.2010
MCD targets 638 buildings for illegal construction
Express News Service Tags : illegal construction, Lalita park, east Delhi unauthorised construction, Municipal Corporation of Delhi Posted: Wed Dec 08 2010, 02:02 hrs
New Delhi: Following a survey of houses in East Delhi near Lalita Park, where a building collapse killed 70 people, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has issued notices against owners of 638 buildings for carrying out illegal construction. The MCD has asked the owners to conduct a structural safety check of their buildings and apply to the MCD for regularisation.“We have identified 638 buildings in Shahdara (South) zone and have sent notices to them. These buildings have been constructed illegally without getting a building plan sanctioned. We are giving them an opportunity to regularise them,” said Yogender Chandolia, chairman of the MCD Standing Committee.
The act of regularisation will, however, be limited to buildings whose height is not more than 15 metres. Buildings that are taller than the prescribed height will be razed. “All buildings that are structurally unsafe will have to be demolished either by the owner or by the MCD,” added Chandolia.
A number of buildings in Lalita Park have also been issued notices by the civic body. The MCD had started its inspection in East Delhi after the Lalita Park collapse on November 15. The civic agency had also decided, in a meeting held last week, that they would allow structurally safe buildings to be regularised. There are thousands of buildings in the city that have been constructed without getting a building plan sanctioned but are structurally safe, which should be allowed regularisation, the agency had said.
Lalita park: 4 suspended
Even though the final report of the MCD Central Vigilance Officer on the Lalita Park collapse case is yet to come, the civic body has started taking action on the basis of a preliminary report that was submitted on Tuesday. On the basis of this report, it has suspended four employees on charges of dereliction of duty leading to the collapse, which killed over 70 persons. More officials may be suspended after the final report comes in.
Assistant engineer Rakesh Kumar, junior engineer C P Singh, licensing inspector Ram Das and house tax inspector R K Bansal, who were all working in Shahdara (South) zone between 2004 and 2005, have been suspended. Though another licensing inspector, Vimal Sharma, was also named in the preliminary report, he is reportedly deceased.
Yogender Chandolia, chairman of the MCD Standing Committee, said it was during this two-year period that the owner of the Lalita Park house illegally built the fourth and the fifth floors, thereby violating building laws. “These four were given the responsibility of checking for illegal construction activities in the area. They have been suspended indefinitely because they failed to carry out their duties,” he said.
