Delhi HC seeks status report from DDA on illegal construction in city

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought status report from DDA and other agencies of city government on a PIL alleging “rampant” illegal construction on public land in and around the capital. Seeking response from DDA and also from police, South Delhi MCD, DJB and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana in a recent order sought a status report by November 27. [caption id=“attachment_1148283” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image of a construction site. Reuters image[/caption] The bench was hearing a PIL by Fraternity Against Corruption, a registered trust, alleging “rampant land grabbing, encroachment and illegal construction on DDA lands in and around Delhi which is open and brazen loot of public resources affecting public at large.” According to the plea, due to mismanagement of DDA, large chunks of land particularly in South Delhi are being misused and the land owning agency has failed to take care of them properly. “…The land mafia in connivance with corrupt officials of DDA grab the vacant DDA lands and then raise unauthorised construction over these lands. Their illegal activities do not end with this and they further sell these illegally constructed houses to innocent public and dupe them of their hard earned money,” the plea alleged. Referring to a high court’s decision in which the bench had ordered police to inform the concerned agency and also stop the illegal construction on DDA land, the plea said, “…Delhi Police merely acts as a post office, they just inform this illegal activity to the public authority once, after that they just remain mute spectator to this brazen activities.” The PIL, filed through counsel Sunder Khatri and Dhananjay Tyagi, cited some areas where the alleged land grabbing by mafias had occurred in South Delhi. PTI