New Delhi: The Supreme Court on monday said there should be zero judicial tolerance for illegal constructions of buildings and other structures as the menace has acquired "monstrous proportion".
In a hard-hitting verdict, a bench of justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya said unauthorised constructions not only violate municipal laws and the concept of planned development but also affect various fundamental and constitutional rights of other people.
"In last four decades, the menace of illegal and unauthorised constructions of buildings and other structures in different parts of the country has acquired monstrous proportion," the bench observed while directing a Kolkata- based real estate company to demolish its unauthorised building and also imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on it.
"The common man feels cheated when he finds that those making illegal and unauthorised constructions are supported by the people entrusted with the duty of preparing and executing master plan/development plan/zonal plan," the bench said.
It further observed that seldom any unauthorised construction by economically affluent people get demolished.
"The reports of demolition of hutments and jhuggi jhopris belonging to poor and disadvantaged section of the society frequently appear in the print media but one seldom gets to read about demolition of illegally/unauthorisedly constructed multi-storied structure raised by economically affluent people," the bench said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 08, 2012, 20:18