Closed shops at South Extension Market during trader’s bandh against MCD’s ongoing sealing in New Delhi (Express Photo/Prem Nath Pandey/File)
Expressing dismay over rampant illegal construction in the capital, the Supreme Court Friday said the “rule of law must be enforced”, and warned against interfering with the working of the Monitoring Committee appointed by it to oversee the sealing drive. It also asked the Delhi administration and civic agencies to apprise it on whether any environment impact assessment was conducted before proposing to amend the Master Plan 2021.
A bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta took a stern view of complaints that BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma and municipal councillor Gunjan Gupta, along with others, prevented officials from doing their duty during the sealing drive. It issued a showcause notice asking why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them. It also asked them to be present at the next hearing. Also read | Delhi sealing drive: School sealed, children ‘forced to study in open’
Amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar told the bench that DDA was proposing to amend the Master Plan and steps have already been initiated. The court agreed with Kumar’s contention that DDA, MCD and Delhi government file an affidavit within a week informing if any environment impact assessment was conducted and whether any facts and figures are available with regard to congestion in Delhi.
Though the counsel for the Delhi government sought more time to file an affidavit, saying that the court had sought many details and it was not “humanly possible” to provide all of it in a week, the court turned down the request and observed “(if) they can change the Master Plan within three days, why they cannot do it (file affidavit) within a week”.
The Monitoring Committee, in its report, said that during sealing of certain premises, “there was a gathering at the instance of some persons, namely Sharma and Gupta, preventing performance of official duties”.
Traders to take to streets on V-Day
To mark their protest against the ongoing sealing drive, traders will present roses to MCD officials on Valentine’s Day. “We will seek an ordinance by the Centre to end the sealing drive,” CAIT general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said.