Delhi RWAs oppose relief to illegal commercial structures

The RWAs have welcomed the restoration of Supreme court Monitoring Committee with powers to seal illegal constructions and encroachments in the capital and said that is the last hope for honest Delhi residents.

"The restoration of Supreme Court Monitoring Committee should have come earlier as civic authorities including MCD, DDA and NDMC meant to uphold Supreme Court's dignity and rule of law in the capital by stopping mushrooming illegal constructions miserably failed to do so" said Rajiv Kakria of Greater Kailash-1 RWA .

"The civic authorities allowed illegal constructions to come up all these years by sleeping over the mess and kept providing misinformation to the Supreme Court and turned Delhi into a complete mess. Finally, the SC has taken up the matter and has ordered restoration of the Monitoring Committee. Things have gone almost beyond redemption and whatever semblance of order is there can be restored as Delhi is already reeling under an environmental disaster" said Kakria.

"The initial urban planning in the national capital discouraged mixed zones, where commercial and residential spaces coexist. But rules were violated and haphazard commercialization took place by illegally converting residential units into shops, offices, restaurants, showrooms. Upper floors, which were meant to house people, were also used for commercial purposes." Said VN Bali, President, RWA Federation, Delhi East.

"The recently rejuvenated Monitoring Committee has again started the sealing drive and the shopkeepers are up in arms. The political parties instead of politicising and pondering over votes should think for Delhi's survival as this SC Monitoring Committee is the last hope to save Delhi from being plundered by greed," Kakria said.