SC partially modifies order on MPD-2021 amendment
16 May 2018 5:24 AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday partially modified its March 6 order on MPD-2021 and directed the Centre to give a 15-day window for inviting objections to the proposed amendment. A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Navin Sinha asked Attorney General KK Venugopal, who was appearing for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), whether the concerned official of the department would be immediately suspended if unauthorised constructions come up in the areas under their jurisdiction.
Venugopal sought modification of the March 6 order and referred to the concept of separation of powers. He said statutory authorities cannot be prohibited from framing a law. The apex court asked the Centre to give 15 days time for inviting objections to the proposed amendments and said the government should take a final call after considering all aspects. At this, the bench observed, "There is a garbage dump of around 68 metres high and you are not able to do anything about it. Wherever you want to take the garbage, people are objecting. The situation is irreversible. There is no water, so people cannot drink water. There is pollution, so people cannot breathe and there is garbage. Where is the city going?"
Venugopal, while referring to the action plan, said the authorities were taking steps on "war footing" to deal with the situation and a "tight system" would be put in place. He said an interactive website along with a smartphone application would be launched by the special task force (STF), set up to oversee the enforcement of laws on unauthorised constructions in Delhi, to facilitate the public to register their complaints on the unauthorised construction being carried out.
In a move to provide relief to the traders' association of Delhi, the apex court had on March 6 ordered a stay on the proposed changes to the Delhi Master Plan. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) governed directly by the Centre had proposed to increase the Floor Area Ration (FAR) for the commercial establishments to protect the traders from the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi. The sealing drive of the commercial establishments flouting provisions of the 2021 master plan began on January 7 in Khan Market on the orders of the top court-appointed monitoring committee.
According to the master plan, traders using properties for mixed purposes, have to pay a one-time conversion charge at the rate notified by the Delhi Government. The monitoring committee had also directed the three civic bodies - South, East, and North Delhi to identify such residential buildings where stilt parking is illegally being used for commercial activities.
(With agency inputs)
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