Supreme Court issues directives to curb illegal constructions

The Supreme Court Tuesday said unauthorised constructions cannot be legitimised merely due to administrative delays, passage of time, or monetary investments and issued a slew of directions to curb illegal constructions.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, “We are of the opinion that construction(s) put up in violation of or deviation from the building plan approved by the local authority and the constructions which are audaciously put up without any building planning approval, cannot be encouraged. Each and every construction must be made scrupulously following and strictly adhering to the rules.”

“Delay in directing rectification of illegalities, administrative failure, regulatory inefficiency, negligence and laxity on part of authorities concerned in performing their obligation(s) under the Act, can’t be used as a shield to defend action against illegal/ unauthorised constructions,” it said.