Police pulled up for not providing force for cleaning Yamuna banks

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Delhi High Court today asked Delhi Police to specify a date within a week to provide force for demolitions of illegal structures on the river Yamuna banks near Okhla industrial area in south Delhi.

When Delhi Development Authority(DDA) Counsel Rajiv Bansal submitted that the Delhi Police did not supply the force during the demolition drive at Batla House Extension and Bela Road Extension recently, a bench of Chief Justice M K Sarma and Justice Rekha Sharma said, ''The police can not do investigation. It can not provide force for demolition drive. It is high time we do something.'' Delhi Police counsel submitted that the Force was not provided as the Special Branch had inputs that demolition of the houses might lead to unrest in the capital.

The demolition would have to be carried out within three weeks, the court said in the order.

The Court also directed the DDA, the land owning agency, to remove all illegal constructions within 300 meters from the edge of water in the river at Khallilullah Enclave, Yogabai Enclave and Batlla House Extension.

While fixing March 21, as next date of hearing, the court also directed the Central Government to make its stand clear on the Tibetan refugee resettlement colony at Majnu Ka Tila in north Delhi.

In an order on December 17, 2006 the court had directed the Government to allocate a better site to the Tibetan Government-in-exile and the refugees who had been settled within the prohibitive limits of the river.

The bench had asked the government to resettle the Office of Tibetan Government-in-exile, a monastery and refugees at Majnu Ka Tila, Budh Vihar in a more hygienic and safer place.

UNI