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This is an archive article published on February 14, 2023
L-G action against officials ‘who allowed encroachments in Mehrauli’
Saxena, sources said, was expected to issue orders directing the identification of government officials across departments — irrespective of their current place of posting — who were connected in any way with the registration, sale, purchase, etc after the cut-off date of 2014.
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The demarcation of the village where the drive is being carried out, according to Bharti, had been done without informing the Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot. (File)
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L-G action against officials ‘who allowed encroachments in Mehrauli’
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Amid the anti-encroachment and demolition drive being undertaken in Mehrauli, L-G V K Saxena has decided to initiate action against officials who allegedly played a role in allowing, and facilitating, the mushrooming of residences and shops on encroached government land, sources said.
Saxena, sources said, was expected to issue orders directing the identification of government officials across departments — irrespective of their current place of posting — who were connected in any way with the registration, sale, purchase, etc after the cut-off date of 2014.
Politics between the AAP government and Raj Niwas on the issue continued to simmer, with Malviya Nagar AAP MLA Somnath Bharti calling on the L-G and submitting a letter to him on Monday.
“I submitted a letter to him requesting him to stop the demolition but he refused. The L-G said ‘we will clean up Delhi’, meaning demolition of unauthorised colonies including multi-storey buildings and slum areas,” Bharti claimed.
According to an L-G House source, however, when Bharti brought up the issue related to “wrongful demarcation”, Saxena asked him why Delhi government’s Revenue Department had not communicated its intent to conduct a fresh demarcation exercise in the area to “any authority, including himself” over the last four days, if that was indeed the AAP government’s objective.
Bharti said at a press conference after their meeting: “On December 12, 2022, the L-G, also the chairman of the DDA, passed a demolition order and said they would empty out an area in Mehrauli. This led to panic as thousands of houses that inhabit nearly a lakh people were suddenly in the line of fire and faced the threat of demolition. While the BJP-controlled DDA was ready to uproot the people, AAP decided to work and find a solution to this issue.”
“Since we were in the process of finding a solution, we did not think the DDA would bother the people here again. But on February 9 this year, suddenly the DDA brought out an order for a demolition drive that was to be carried out the following day. This demolition order was brought out on the basis of a demarcation line that has no strong basis of origin,” he added.
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The demarcation of the village where the drive is being carried out, according to Bharti, had been done without informing the Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot.
However, an L-G House official contended that the Delhi government was not only consulted but was also on board with the demolition drive “on various fora”. “This is yet another attempt to mislead the public opinion,” the official said.
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