Sheila Govt. faces contempt of court in Yamuna cleaning case

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) A month before the crucial Municipal election in the Capital, the Sheila Dikshit government faces punishment for contempt of court for not carrying out a judicial direction to demolish the unauthorised houses, predominantly of the people from a minority community from the banks of the river Yamuna in South Delhi.

In order to save itself from severe reprimand for the contempt of court on the one hand and wrath of the particular community on the other hand, the state government has hired the services of senior advocate and Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singvi to defend it before the Delhi High Court.

Failing to comply with the direction of the court pronounced on February 21, to specify a date within a week to make arrangements for the demolition of illegal buildings at Batla House Extension, Bela Road Extension, Khallilullah Enclave and Yogabai Enclave near Okhla in three weeks, the State government and Delhi Police fielded Mr Singvi to 'mention' the matter before the court ''for mercy'' on Friday.

Mr Singvi appeared before a bench headed by Chief Justice M K Sarma and said the matter relating to the cleaning up of the river Yamuna and its banks might be heard on March 14, a week before the scheduled date of hearing.

Convener of the Yamuna Removal of Encroachments Monitoring Committee S M Agrawal, who was present in the court, raised the issue of non-compliance of the earlier order. But Mr Singvi scoffed of the submission and said the matter would be argued on Wednesday.

Upset over Delhi police dilly-dallying in providing troops to Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the land owning agency- to clear illegal structures within 300 meters from the edge of water of the river Yamuna, the High Court on February 21, had asked the police to specify within a weak a date when it would be able to provide the force.

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