Draw a lesson from Mumbai authorities: HC tells MCD

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Municipal authorities to learn from their counterparts in Mumbai, which demolished the pandal constructed by the famed Godrej family for the ceremony to commemorate the marriage of British actor Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar on Juhu beach in Mumbai.

Peeved by the inaction of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD), a Division Bench of Chief Justice M K Sarma and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, ''Learn from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation-- See how do they function?'' ''It did not even spare the Godrej family which had erected a pandal on the beach for the ceremony of the celebrities,'' observed the bench referring to the news reports.

The news reports said the MMC had demolished the pandal in front of the Godrej family's Juhu beach bungalow for the second time in a week throwing spanner on the party.

Parmeshwar Godrej, the wife of industrialist Adi Godrej, had erected the pandal for the ceremony on the beach, which is against the municipal law.

While hearing a public interest petition, the court said, ''How could you allow slums in public parks? Parks are meant for public not for slums.'' The petition has sought the direction of the court to the MCD for removal of about 2000 slums in Nehru camp, Navjivan Camp and Bhumihin Camp in parks at Kalkaji in South Delhi.

MCD Counsel V Sabharwal submitted that the government had allowed the Punjab migrants to settle on the parks.

Alternate plots had been given to the eligible 200 families and rest were illegal settlers, he said.

The court directed the municipal authorities to remove illegal encroachments and file a status report by May 18.

UNI