Following a plea seeking directions against alleged encroachments in Shalimar Bagh, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Delhi Chief Secretary to look into the plea and clarify the issue pertaining to jurisdiction of various statutory authorities.
Following submissions made by the Delhi Development Authority and the North civic body, a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said, “In view of the divergent stand taken by the statutory authorities, we direct Chief Secretary, Delhi, to look into the matter and determine the question as to who is to take action for removal of encroachment from government land.”
The Chief Secretary was also directed to furnish a report by November 19.
The directions came following submissions made by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that the onus of taking action lay with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation while the civic body said that the said land was under the jurisdiction of the State government.
“The report received from DDA was to the effect that the area falls under the North [civic body]...The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has filed an affidavit to the effect that according to the Chief Town Planner, Land and Estate Department and the Revenue Department [of Delhi government], encroachment is on the government land and not on [civic body] land,” the Bench observed.
The Bench made the observations while hearing a plea which alleged encroachment in Haiderpur.