Demolished unauthorised properties cannot be re-constructed:MCD

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) Clearing the air over the unauthorised structures demolished before the coming into force of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today stated that all these structures cannot be re-built.

The clarification came in a statement by MCD Commissioner A K Nigam in a meeting of the MCD Standing Committee here in response to queries by several members on the issue.

''Though the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 provides for maintaining a status quo vis-a-vis unauthorised structures in Delhi as on January 1, 2006, that does not mean the unauthorised properties that were demolished in course of the demolition drive, prior to the coming into force of the law, can be re-built,'' Mr Nigam said.

Mr Nigam said while the new law clearly states that there is no bar on carrying out renovation, painting and other miscellaneous work on a house, action on ongoing demolitions will go on.

Earlier, members at the meeting raised the issue of the court commissioner and other MCD officials forbidding people from carrying out renovation work at their houses. Some members alleged that people were not being allowed to carry out work related to cleaning, painting and replacing old walls with new ones.

The members urged the commissioner to clear the confusion over the issue.

Keeping in view sentiments of the members, Standing Committee chairman Jai Kishen Sharma asked the Commissioner to clear the situation by issuing advertisements in various media.

Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 provides for a one-year moratorium on the process of demolition of unauthorised constructions that came up in Delhi prior to January 1, 2006.

However, even after the law came into force last month, an element of uncertainty had prevailed over whether the MCD would re-built those unauthorised structures razed during its demolition drive.

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