The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a special task force would be set up to oversee the enforcement of laws to deal with unauthorised construction and encroachments in Delhi and look into the safety of buildings that have been built legally, reported PTI.
The government told a bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta that the STF would examine whether schools, hospitals, movie theatres and restaurants complied with fire safety norms.
Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that they have added one representative from the Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s office to the task force. The vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority will lead the task force.
“Even if a structure has been built legally, the task force will look into fire safety and other aspects,” he told the bench.
The top court asked Nadkarni what has been done on the depletion of ground water in Delhi. The additional solicitor general told the bench they were taking steps in this regard. The bench listed the matter for further hearing on April 24 and asked the member secretary of the Central Ground Water Board to be present for the next hearing.
Nadkarni told the bench that proper security arrangements would be made for the court-appointed monitoring committee that is overseeing a drive to seal illegal structures and residential buildings being used for commercial purposes. He said three senior officials of the Delhi Police have been asked to coordinate with the committee and chalk out modalities. He also handed over a revised note regarding the ongoing sealing drive to the court.
The STF will also comprise the commissioners of the three municipal corporation of Delhi, the chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council and the chief executive officer of the Delhi Jal Board. Other members will be the commissioner or secretary of transport, secretary of urban development, secretary of the revenue department, special commissioner (law and order), special commissioner (traffic) of Delhi Police, chief fire officer of Delhi and the DDA’s commissioner (planning).
Since the drive began in December, traders have staged agitations and major wholesale and retail markets in Delhi have shut down in protest for a few days at a time. During the drive, the civic bodies have sealed shops and restaurants for encroachment and illegal constructions, among other violations, and for allegedly not having paid conversion charges. Action has been taken against establishments in Defence Colony Market, Khan Market, Mehar Chand Market and markets in Sundar Nagar, Hauz Khas, Rajendra Nagar, Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj.
The top court is also hearing arguments on the validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, and subsequent pieces of legislation that protect unauthorised construction from being sealed.
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