The Times of India 24.12.2009
CIC slams MCD for safeguarding illegal buildings
NEW DELHI: The CIC has lambasted MCD officials for protecting "unauthorised construction" and colluding with builders by withholding information on them while issuing show cause notices to three engineers of the civic body in the matter.
The civic body came under fire from Central Information Commission as it did not give information about an unauthorised construction in the Pubjabi Mohalla area of the national capital even after seven months of filing the RTI application by one Kamal Sharma.
During the hearing at the information panel, Municipal Corporation of Delhi accepted there was a delay in providing the information for the building which was an "unauthorised construction".
"It is evident that the information had not been provided earlier to protect and safeguard the interest of the unauthorised construction," Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.
The Punjabi Mohalla in Sabzi Mandi area comes in the North West district of the national capital which according to Delhi police reports has more than 270 illegal constructions.
"It is disgusting that hundreds of RTI applications are revealing unauthorised constructions of complete buildings and showing the obvious collusion of MCD officials," he said.
