New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has now issued a contempt notice to an Engineer of the New Delhi Municipal Council, noting that the NDMC and the Delhi Police had failed to ensure the removal of illegal encroachers from the
Sarojini Nagar Market here as directed by the court earlier. The court went on to direct authorities to ensure that no goods or wares are left behind at the marketplace when it shuts for the day.
The high court observed that while not more than three to four informal vendors are allowed for every 10 shops in a marketplace according to the Master Plan, vendors at the Sarojini Nagar Market had exceeded this limit. Hence, the court ruled that since the market has around 200 shops operating, only 60-80 vendors may be allowed to operate there.
"The Delhi Police shall seize all such articles and goods which are found lying in Market area on a daily basis with the assistance of the officers of the NDMC," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh recorded in its order.
The high court had earlier this year in September directed the authorities (NDMC and Delhi Police) to clear all illegal encroachments from the Sarojini Nagar Market area and ensure that they do not return there. The division bench recorded that this order had not been complied with and hence issued a show cause to the Executive Engineer, asking him to explain why the court should not initiate legal proceedings against him under the Contempt of Courts Act.
The court has asked the Engineer to reply to the show-cause notice within 10 days, further directing ML Toppo, the Executive Engineer, to personally attend the next hearing in the matter. The court also directed the NDMC to file a status report with regards to the illegal encroachment within the next two weeks.