Period of Festivities

New Delhi, July 21 (UNI) Saddled with a bunch of petitions on ongoing unauthorised constructions, the Delhi High Court today observed that it was nothing but ''a period of festivities and a complete jamboree'' in the Capital after the enactment of the Delhi Laws (Special provisions) Act 2006.

A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain said unauthorised constructions were going on in full swing after the Act was passed by Parliament prohibiting demolition of illegal structures by the authorities.

''Forget about the law. It is a complete jamboree. People are carrying out illegal constructions, in the name of repair,'' said the bench while hearing a petition filed by Advocate and petitioner Kuldeep Kumar.

Mr Kumar, whose house in Lajpat Nagar was demolished by the MCD authorities, filed a petition seeking direction for demolitions of several buildings including the six-storied unauthorised structure owned by area MCD Junior Engineer Md Anjum.

The petition alleged that the MCD officials were hand in glove with the builder mafia and promoting illegal constructions in different parts of the Capital.

The Court directed South Delhi Court Commissioner Ashok Arora to visit the eleven buildings named by the petitioner inlcuding that of the junior engineer and file a status report by July 31, the next date of hearing.

In relation to another petition, the Court directed the MCD to file a reply to the allegation that despite filing undertaking with the court, some of the owners have started opening their buildings in Rajouri Garden as banquet halls.

Counsel Rajive Mehra appearing for the Rajouri Garden residents submitted that the building owners had submitted undertaking before the court that they would not open their buildings for organising public functions.

The Court also issued notice to the DCP (Traffic) South-West zone on the petition seeking removal of encroachment from Sarojini Nagar.

Producing some photographs, the petitioner submitted that the approach roads to Sarojini Nagar had been encroached by the footpath shop keepers and parking owners.

UNI PAT MIR KN1806