The Hindu : New Delhi News : Constitution Club bid to encroach upon public land

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Saturday, May 24, 2008
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Constitution Club bid to encroach upon public land

Manisha Jha

Attempting to cordon off land adjoining its premises which is used by officer-goers to park their cars

Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

Above the Law?: Attempts to restore public land for parking purposes have been thwarted by the club three times in the past few days with a crudely erected fence surfacing each time it was uprooted by the NDMC.

NEW DELHI: In a case of brazen encroachment, the grand old Constitution Club on Rafi Marg here in the Capital has impinged on public land adjoining its premises that falls under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and is used by officer-goers in the vicinity to park their cars.

NDMC’s attempts to restore the public land for parking purposes has been thwarted by the Club three times in the past few days with a crudely erected fence comprising bamboo sticks and twine surfacing each time that it was uprooted by the civic body.

After laying the grass, the Club had also constructed a toe-wall about two months ago to cordon off the area, but the civic body had razed it on being apprised by vigilant citizens.

According to Constitution Club assistant manager Arvind Kumar, the Club was trying to develop a green belt in the area to enhance the look. “The area outside the Club gate was being used as a car park. However, we wanted to landscape and beautify the area. We have clarified to car users that the area is not meant for parking. It belongs to the Union Ministry of Urban Development and is part of the Vithal Bhai Patel House Complex maintained by the Central Public Works Department,” he said.

“The ropes and sticks have been put up temporarily to restrict the mud in its place while the work is on. The entire landscaping work is being done by the Horticulture Division of CPWD and we have also obtained permission from NDMC for the work,” he added.

However, the CPWD has denied having undertaken any such project. CPWD official Ravindra Kumar Saxena, who is in charge of the CPWD office building adjacent to the Club, said: “The CPWD has not undertaken any project for landscaping of the area outside the Club. The Club is doing it on its own account.”

Director (Horticulture) CPWD Bhan Singh said: “We had undertaken some gardening work inside the Club last year at their request, but are not involved in any horticulture project outside the Club boundary.”

The NDMC, too, denied having granted any permission to the Constitution Club and clarified that though car parking in the area was unauthorised, the Club could not be allowed to create any form of fencing over it.

An NDMC official said: “The Club had applied to the NDMC for permission to construct a fence in the area last year but was denied it. Despite that, the Club went ahead and constructed a toe-wall which was razed by us after the Club failed to furnish a written record of the permission it claimed to have got from the civic body. They even threatened NDMC ground officials last time and have again tried to barricade the area using ropes and bamboo sticks forcing us to remove it twice but to no avail.”

“As per rules, NDMC roads consisting of paved area from boundary to boundary fall under the civic body’s jurisdiction and this area cannot be restrained. If a formal request in writing is received by us by the affected car users in the area we can initiate action to build a proper parking with tiles like we have on Pandit Pant Marg,” he added.

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