In a significant decision taken at the first meeting of the new Cabinet, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government stayed all demolitions in the Capital barring those being pursued as per court orders.
The government, it said in a press statement, had decided to review the existing policy governing demolitions, which it intended to complete as soon as possible. Till then, various agencies associated with carrying out such demolitions in Delhi were cautioned against carrying these out.
“It was decided to take a holistic view on the existing policy of carrying out demolitions of residential houses, jhuggis, etc., in Delhi by various agencies,” the statement said.
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On Sunday, a group of residents from hutments in East Delhi’s Shahdara had staged a demonstration outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Kaushambi residence against the demolition of their homes a day earlier.
It was later learnt that the hutments were encroaching upon government land. Mr. Kejriwal then got in touch with the local MLA, Ram Nivas Goyal, who then intervened and put a spanner in the demolition following which the protest outside the CM’s residence, too, was called off.
“The government has issued directions to various agencies such as the New Delhi Municipal Council, North, East and South Delhi Municipal Corporations, Delhi Jal Board, Environment and Forests, Revenue Department not to carry out any demolition till this review is completed,” the statement said.
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In case any demolition had already been planned or was in the pipeline, the statement added, the agency concerned must seek prior approval of the Urban Development Minister. The order would not apply to action taken in pursuance of court orders and a review of the existing policy governing demolitions would be completed by it “at the earliest”.