Delhi HC lashes out at Central and state governments for not implementing Apartment Ownership Act

The Delhi High Court lashed out at the Centre as well as the Delhi Government for not implementing the Delhi Apartment Ownership Act,1986, for the last 21 years.A bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Reva Khetrapal granted four weeks time to the Government to make the Bill ready for presentation in Parliament.The lawyers for the Centre and the State Government contended that instead of overhauling the Delhi Apartment Ownership Act,1986, to fit with the present situation, a new legislation could be brought in.The bench observed that such a Bill was presented and introduced in the Lok Sabha, but since the Lok Sabha was dissolved, the said Bill also lapsed.The Court remarked, "It is a failure on the part of the Government to get the said Bill ready for presenting before the Parliament. The 14th Lok Sabha was constituted, which will also complete its term in another one year, but the Bill has not been introduced till now." A writ petition was filed in the Court by one O S Bajpai through his lawyer V N Jha seeking the court's intervention in the implementation of the said Bill which was lying pending for the last 21 years.Lawyers for the Delhi Government and the Centre S B Sharma, R C Roy, H P Sharma and Sanjay Poddar for the as Land and Development Office (L&DO) assured the court that they would seek instructions as to when the said Bill could be made ready for presentation in Parliament.The Court granted four weeks time to get the Bill ready. The court made these instructions on March 5 and was hopeful that the Bill would be introduced in this session of Parliament.UNI Monday, March 17, 2008Indlawnews.com; Tuesday, March 25, 2008