No demolition would be carried out if not necessary

New Delhi, Aug 14: Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy today assured Parliament that the government was making all efforts to complete the statutory provisions for finalising the amendments to the Master Plan 2001 which would prevent avoidable hardships to people and ensure planned and sustainable development of the capital.

He also dismissed suggestions that chaotic situation would prevail in the event of sealing, re-sealing and de-sealing of shops and demolition of certain houses in conformity with the Supreme Court Orders, stating that both the government and the Court have taken recourse to the ''middle path.'' The Minister was responding to a calling attention notice by Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP), Mr Sandeep Dikshit, Ms Krishna Tirath and Mr Nikhil Kumar (all Congress) regarding Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, in the context of observations made by the Judicial Authorities, in the Lok Sabha.

He said sealing of shops pertained to only 79 colonies which are in category 'A' and 'B' and the judgement of the Court did not involve those colonies which were in categories 'E', 'F' and 'G', which number in thousands.

Responding to remarks that the Courts were extending their jurisdictions to each and every sphere, Mr Reddy expressed the hope that both the legislature and the Courts would exercise restraint.

The Minister explained that amnesty was entailed in the two public notifications issued by the government on July 21, 2006, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Tajinder Khanna Committee Report, proposing modifications in the Master Plan 2001 in respect of development norms for residential plotted development and mixed land use.

''Suitable directions have also been issued to the concerned local authorities to take all necessary preparatory and consequential action to give effect to these proposed amendments,'' Mr Reddy said.

''No demolitions will be carried out unless absolutely necessary and the government wants to liberate the people from the phenomena of sealing, re-sealing and de-sealing,'' Mr Reddy said.

He also clarified that the Supreme Court has chosen not to stay the directions of the government.

Mr Reddy admitted that the problem of demolition and sealing of establishments was ''gigantic, multi-dimensional and complex'' and the task of creating Delhi was indeed formidable.

He told the House that the Supreme Court has not stayed the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006.

UNI