New Delhi, Nov 28: The Delhi High Court today asked the chiefs of Delhi police, MCD, NDMC and DDA to prepare an action plan within two weeks for demolishing unauthorised structures in Rohini and New Friends Colony areas here. A division bench of Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri directed Delhi Police Commissioner R S Gupta, MCD commissioner Rakesh Mehta, NDMC chairperson R Narayanswamy and DDA vice chairman Anil Baijal to sit together and chalk out a plan for these two areas which could be later implemented in other parts of the capital as well.

Earlier, the four officials personally appeared before the court following directions issued on Tuesday last when the court had ordered to summon them to explain why unauthorised constructions were not being removed despite court orders.
The bench rejected the petitioner's request for involving some citizens of the areas concerned in the exercise, saying, "We have full faith in these officers" and fixed January 14 next year for further hearing.

MCD commissioner complained to the court that some unscrupulous persons were filing PILs against illegal constructions and then trying to extort money from the owners of such buildings. He, however, admitted that lower level MCD officials were colluding with the violators.

Delhi police chief informed the court that in some cases as many as 500 policemen were needed to assist the civic authorities carry out demolition while DDA counsel Gita Mittal said non-stipulation of a time-frame to carry out demolitions in the statute was the main cause of delay.

Bureau Report