The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to demolish more than 500 illegal constructions on government land in New Moti Nagar here within three months.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna passed the demolition order on Wednesday while demising a petition by the New Moti Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association seeking a stay on demolition of the illegal constructions.
The Delhi Administration had way back in 1970 allotted residential plots of 25 square yards each to the employees of the Labour Department. The allottees have over the years encroached on government land around the plots and raised constructions on them.
According to a survey by the civic body, the encroachment is so extensive that the majority of allottees now have in possession residential plots ranging from 80 square yards to 200 square yards.
The allottees were permitted to construct only ground and first floors on their plots but over the years multi-storey buildings and commercial complex have come up in violation of the terms and conditions of the allotment.
Justice Khanna in his order directed the civic body to spare for now the plots of 80 square yards from demolition.
Counsel for the civic body earlier submitted that his client had so far removed about hundred illegal constructions. He further submitted that the local body was also considering regularising the plots of 80 square yards by recovering collecting charges from the encroachers.
The Court also asked the local body to file a status report on the demolition on April 28.
