Pioneer and HT have reported today further High Court
order for removal of unauthorised structures from the
riverbed. With reference to illegal IT Park, etc,
MCD-Action-Aid Night Shelter, etc, the following has
been dispatched by courier to Police Commissioner,
with copy to LG. (As for Pushta slums, their residents
have consistently sought relocation according to law
since January 2004, last with reference to notice in
the IT Park matter and fire of same date, in context
of another public notice to which they had responded
in January 2005).
----
Commissioner, Delhi Police
Police HQ, IP Estate, New Delhi – 110002
Sub: High Court Order for removal of unauthorised
structures from the riverbed
Dear Sir,
With reference to the news item reproduced below about
Hon'ble High Court's order with reference to Order of
March 2003 for removal of all unauthorised structures
from the riverbed, this is to:
(a) Bring to your attention that on 13/04/05 Hon'ble
High Court had issued notice to respondents (DMRC,
GNCTD, MoUD and DDA) to file reply in two weeks, which
they have not done so far, in WP 6500/2005 (GD Verma
v/s DMRC & Ors) against IT Park, etc, on the riverbed
(under construction since November 2003 –
unauthorisedly, inasmuch as public notice for
'proposal' to change land use from 'riverbed' to
'commercial' for it was issued only on 18/09/04).
(b) Request the following information (also for
placing facts before the Hon'ble Court in the above
matter, in which disregard / selective compliance of
Order of March 2003 is one of the grounds):
* action taken, if any, on my complaints against
unlawful procedures in Pushta clearance in
February-June 2004 and summary demolition of religious
structures in December 2004
* outcome of investigation into illegal MCD-NGO night
shelter functioning in Pushta (which investigation was
initiated on our complaint, as per police
functionaries in Pushta PS)
I would greatly appreciate an acknowledgement of this
communication and I hope Delhi Police will ensure
force is provided for expeditious removal of all
unauthorised structures from the riverbed in a manner
consistent with law and with Art.14 of the
Constitution of India.
Yours sincerely
Gita Dewan Verma, Planner
--------
Daily Pioneer, 04/05/2005
HC to DDA: Remove encroachments from Yamuna riverbed
Abraham Thomas/ New Delhi
The Delhi High Court has ordered Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) to remove all encroachments on Yamuna
riverbed by July 27 or else directed its Vice-Chairman
to remain personally present in court by next date.
Holding the DDA guilty of inaction, the court noted
that despite orders on March 3, 2003 by this court to
remove encroachments, nothing had been done to
preserve and protect the historical legacy of the
river.
Referring to the entire stretch of the river belt
extending from the Rajghat area till Noida, the
division bench of Chief Justice BC Patel and Justice
SK Kaul directed removal of all illegal structures
constructed on the river bed.
It had shocked the court's to note that industries and
jhuggi jhopris had sprung up on the embankment
adjacent to the river. "This had greatly hindered the
river flow," the bench added. Besides, vested
political and commercial interests had come to
dominate the affairs of the region breeding a network
of pollution and corruption.
Such was the extent of corruption, that prized
government land came in the hands of slum lords who
parceled out land, set up factories, sold illegally
allotted plots and derived huge pecuniary benefits.
The court held that the river bed was meant to be a
green area. As envisaged under the Yamuna River
Redevelopment Plan, the river bed was to be integrated
with national samadhis - Rajghat, Shanti Van, Gandhi
Darshan, Vijay Ghat, Kisan Ghat and Shakti Sthal with
walkways and proper landscaping. Further the entire
complex was to be interlinked with Salim Garh fort,
rear walls of Red Fort, Darya Ganj, Ferozeshah Kotla
by footbridges over the Ring Road.
The MCD claimed that the slum dwellers could not be
removed since the government had initiated a scheme to
re-settle squatters who raised up jhuggies on
government land upto year 1998. But the court refused
to buy this excuse. They suggested to the MCD that
those persons who had encroached on river bed were not
entitled to any relocation schemes, since they are
rank trespassers on government land.
-----------
cc: for favour of information wrt prior correspondence
in above matters, Hon'ble LG / DDA Chairman
__________________________________________________
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order for removal of unauthorised structures from the
riverbed. With reference to illegal IT Park, etc,
MCD-Action-Aid Night Shelter, etc, the following has
been dispatched by courier to Police Commissioner,
with copy to LG. (As for Pushta slums, their residents
have consistently sought relocation according to law
since January 2004, last with reference to notice in
the IT Park matter and fire of same date, in context
of another public notice to which they had responded
in January 2005).
----
Commissioner, Delhi Police
Police HQ, IP Estate, New Delhi – 110002
Sub: High Court Order for removal of unauthorised
structures from the riverbed
Dear Sir,
With reference to the news item reproduced below about
Hon'ble High Court's order with reference to Order of
March 2003 for removal of all unauthorised structures
from the riverbed, this is to:
(a) Bring to your attention that on 13/04/05 Hon'ble
High Court had issued notice to respondents (DMRC,
GNCTD, MoUD and DDA) to file reply in two weeks, which
they have not done so far, in WP 6500/2005 (GD Verma
v/s DMRC & Ors) against IT Park, etc, on the riverbed
(under construction since November 2003 –
unauthorisedly, inasmuch as public notice for
'proposal' to change land use from 'riverbed' to
'commercial' for it was issued only on 18/09/04).
(b) Request the following information (also for
placing facts before the Hon'ble Court in the above
matter, in which disregard / selective compliance of
Order of March 2003 is one of the grounds):
* action taken, if any, on my complaints against
unlawful procedures in Pushta clearance in
February-June 2004 and summary demolition of religious
structures in December 2004
* outcome of investigation into illegal MCD-NGO night
shelter functioning in Pushta (which investigation was
initiated on our complaint, as per police
functionaries in Pushta PS)
I would greatly appreciate an acknowledgement of this
communication and I hope Delhi Police will ensure
force is provided for expeditious removal of all
unauthorised structures from the riverbed in a manner
consistent with law and with Art.14 of the
Constitution of India.
Yours sincerely
Gita Dewan Verma, Planner
--------
Daily Pioneer, 04/05/2005
HC to DDA: Remove encroachments from Yamuna riverbed
Abraham Thomas/ New Delhi
The Delhi High Court has ordered Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) to remove all encroachments on Yamuna
riverbed by July 27 or else directed its Vice-Chairman
to remain personally present in court by next date.
Holding the DDA guilty of inaction, the court noted
that despite orders on March 3, 2003 by this court to
remove encroachments, nothing had been done to
preserve and protect the historical legacy of the
river.
Referring to the entire stretch of the river belt
extending from the Rajghat area till Noida, the
division bench of Chief Justice BC Patel and Justice
SK Kaul directed removal of all illegal structures
constructed on the river bed.
It had shocked the court's to note that industries and
jhuggi jhopris had sprung up on the embankment
adjacent to the river. "This had greatly hindered the
river flow," the bench added. Besides, vested
political and commercial interests had come to
dominate the affairs of the region breeding a network
of pollution and corruption.
Such was the extent of corruption, that prized
government land came in the hands of slum lords who
parceled out land, set up factories, sold illegally
allotted plots and derived huge pecuniary benefits.
The court held that the river bed was meant to be a
green area. As envisaged under the Yamuna River
Redevelopment Plan, the river bed was to be integrated
with national samadhis - Rajghat, Shanti Van, Gandhi
Darshan, Vijay Ghat, Kisan Ghat and Shakti Sthal with
walkways and proper landscaping. Further the entire
complex was to be interlinked with Salim Garh fort,
rear walls of Red Fort, Darya Ganj, Ferozeshah Kotla
by footbridges over the Ring Road.
The MCD claimed that the slum dwellers could not be
removed since the government had initiated a scheme to
re-settle squatters who raised up jhuggies on
government land upto year 1998. But the court refused
to buy this excuse. They suggested to the MCD that
those persons who had encroached on river bed were not
entitled to any relocation schemes, since they are
rank trespassers on government land.
-----------
cc: for favour of information wrt prior correspondence
in above matters, Hon'ble LG / DDA Chairman
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com