Govt OK challenged,HC issues notice

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought responses from the Central and Delhi governments on a petition that challenged their powers to regularise unauthorised colonies in the Capital.

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The Delhi High Court on Friday sought responses from the Central and Delhi governments on a petition that challenged their powers to regularise unauthorised colonies in the Capital.

Asking the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to take a stand as well on the petition by May 2,a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notice to all parties and gave them four weeks to reply.

The court issued notice on a petition by one H R Suri,filed through advocate Anil K Aggarwal,challenging the DDAs powers to frame rules for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi,2008.

The petition contended that the DDA does not allow regularisation of unplanned colonies.

It said even the Delhi government was barred under a Constitutional provision relating to land development to frame rules in the matter.

The petitioner claimed that only the elected civic body,the MCD,was entitled to take over and bring out schemes for improvement of unauthorised and unplanned colonies.

The petitioner also alleged that the DDA failed in curbing unauthorised construction and to cover up its laxity,it illegally regularised as many as 567 unauthorised colonies in 1990.

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On Wednesday,when Delhi held a mock drill for disaster management,the bench described unauthorised construction in the city as a serious man-made disaster. The court also said it would have a devastating impact if not checked immediately.

The bench took a swipe at the government for organising a drill on the one hand and on the other,proceeding to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

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