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Delhi

Expedite process on Sainik Farms satellite maps: HC to govt

The Delhi high court has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to expedite the process of getting high-resolution satellite maps of the posh Sainik Farms colony from 2007-16 to find out if any unauthorised construction has taken place in the area during the period.

The direction by a Bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar came after the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on November 11 submitted that it had already written to the Geo Spatial Delhi Ltd (GSDL) to provide the images but the agency had sought more time. The court noted in its November 11 order that the agency appeared to be “under the impression that they have to analyse the maps and prepare a report”.

“No such direction was given by us. We simply want the geospatial maps of Sainik Farms as directed on November 9,” it said and listed the matter for hearing on November 18. The images have to be filed a day before that, the Bench said.

The order came after the SDMC sought more time to file the images, which were to be placed before the court on November 10. The Bench on November 9 had given the corporation one day to file the images. The court had sought the images to itself ascertain if any unauthorised construction was carried out in Sainik Farms from 2007 onwards in violation of its order. It had asked for the images as it did not “trust” the corporation’s affidavit on the extent of unauthorised construction in the colony and had said that SDMC was “trying to cover up” and its report, submitted, was “an eyewash”.

The court had said that after comparing the maps with Google images for the same period, it would point out changes and unauthorised constructions and will give time to SDMC to “come clean” and warned that if no action was taken thereafter, “then we will order a CBI probe”. The court’s direction were given during hearing of a PIL filed by an NGO alleging illegal construction in Sainik Farms.
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