By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought an explanation from the city government how it passed an executive order staying a ruling by the court to demolish unauthorised structures in urban villages of the capital.
A division bench of Chief Justice M.K. Sarma and Justice Rekha Sharma asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit explaining the passage of the Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna’s April 26 order, staying the demolition of unauthorized structures in the urban villages of the capital.
“We want a clarification. The Lt Governor’s order is in conflict with our order,” the bench said when a court commissioner produced the copy of the lieutenant governor’s order.
The executive order was found by the bench negating the judicial order to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Government to demolish the unauthorised and illegal structures in the urban villages known as “extended abadi and extended lal dora areas.”
“The Lt. Governor’s order is virtually staying our order pronounced in the Kalyansansthan vs MCD case directing the authorities to demolish the illegal structures,” said the judges asking the Delhi Government to file its reply by May 9.
The order of the Lt Governor says, “It has come to the notice that DDA, MCD and Revenue Department are taking up demolition of residential houses in extended Abadi and Lal Dora area. Before taking up such demolition activities in the peripheral village, a detail note file may be put up for my information or order as the case may be.”
The order was served on Vice Chairman DDA, Commissioner MCD and Deputy Commissioners of Revenue departments.
The court commissioners, who were looking after illegal structures in the city, submitted that the order of the Lt Governor had stopped the demolition drive in the capital.