HC frowns at coordination gap among MCD depts

Mehra was reprimanded by the court last Wednesday when the MCD and the Slums & JJ department had blamed each other over non-compliance with a court’s order.

Mehra had then admitted that the additional commissioner,who is in-charge of the Slums department,was under his jurisdiction and he would ensure greater coordination among the MCD’s departments.

On Wednesday,the court was hearing the petition of one Ram Chander who was aggrieved by the MCD demolition. He had claimed that he was entitled to relocation as per the MCD’s policies but the agency was now shirking the responsibility.

The counsel of the Slums department said rehabilitation and relocation were dealt with by the MCD’s General Wing. The counsel claimed they were merely an implementation agency and directives had to come from the MCD.

“If you demolish the property,whose duty it is to relocate them? We think it is your obligation,” Justice Lokur told the MCD counsel.

“Your Commissioner has said that he would coordinate with the additional commissioner of the Slums department. We don’t understand who is the boss and who is whose boss?” the Bench said.

The court further said it was not supposed to encourage coordination among the departments and they had to mend their ways on their own.

The MCD counsel said necessary actions would be taken as soon as possible. “I give an assurance that the matter will be sorted out within a week,” she said. The next hearing is on May 26.

Court calls DDA attitude obnoxious

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday slammed the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA),who was asked to appear in the court to explain the lax attitude of various departments in complying with court’s directives.

Justice Lokur asked Vice-Chairman Ashok Kumar: “Why your departments are not taking any interest in the matters of the court? Why are our directives not considered important?” Kumar,who appeared with the commissioner of the Land department,admitted to the lapses. “There are problems but steps have been taken to streamline the entire procedure. Circulars have been distributed to all the departments in the DDA to consider court matters very seriously and erring officials will also face action,” he said.

Justice Lokur,however,termed the agency’s approach “obnoxious” and said the conduct of government officials must be changed. Kumar was asked to appear after the DDA counsel failed to submit its affidavit in court despite being given repeated opportunities. “It is high time you should realise the court’s orders are to be implemented,” the court said. The DDA was supposed to submit a report on the allotments of residential and commercial premises made for persons under the disabled category.