Over 800 acres encroached in Rohini by land mafia, HC told

New Delhi, April 11 Bench orders DDA, MCD to take legal action, including demolition
Over two years into the demolition drive against illegal constructions in Delhi, the land mafia is still not deterred. Their arrogance is more than visible.
The latest revelation of their “audacity” was in a report submitted before the Delhi High Court by Court Commissioner and senior advocate Rakesh Khanna stating that over 800 acres of vacant public land have been systematically encroached upon in Rohini, west Delhi.
“Some of the buildings are residential flats which are being sold to buyers on a 20-year instalment plan. This is the kind of audacity we are up against,” the Court Commissioner submitted before a Bench led by Justice A K Sikri.
Khanna’s report, backed by photographs, was the result of his inspection conducted on March 17, in Deep Vihar, Begumpur, Dhruv Enclave, Rohini and Lakhi Ram village.
“Illegal structures keep coming up on the land because neither the MCD nor the DDA or the Revenue department take possession of it,” Khanna told Newsline.
“We are talking about huge tracts of prime land which these illegal buyers can later regularise by paying a meagre fee of Rs 500 per square metre,” he told the court. Khanna’s findings were backed by a similar report from the Court Commissioner for Shahdara (South) Zone, Sanjeev Bhandari. This report brought to light unauthorised constructions in DDA flats at Mayur Vihar in east Delhi.
Placing on record both the reports, a Bench ordered the civic bodies to take legal action, including demolition if required. Bhandari’s survey of flats in Mayur Vihar’s Phase III (Pocket D) showed him that residents had encroached on public roads by erecting concrete pillars to support floors.
He complained that the MCD was sitting on 600 complaints of illegal structures without any status report forthcoming in the near future. He drew the court’s attention to encroachments in the Gharoli dairy farm area, Chander Nagar, Shiv Puri Extension and Geeta Colony. “Deputy Commissioner, MCD Shahdara South, showed his inability to take action against the violators citing paucity of staff in the building department. This is the reason why action against the violators is pending,” submitted Bhandari.
Express news service
Posted online: Saturday , April 12, 2008 at 12:04:10Updated: Saturday , April 12, 2008 at 12:04:10