Delhi govt asks DDA to stop demolition, orders fresh demarcation in Mehrauli

New Delhi, Feb 11 In wake of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Friday demolishing several three- and four-storey structures that had come up illegally on its land in Aam Bagh area of Mehrauli, sparking off protests, the Delhi government on Saturday asked the agency to stop the drive and conduct the fresh demarcation.

The DDA had used Revenue Department's demarcation as basis for its demolition drive, but, in a critical intervention, the Delhi government has struck down the demarcation after finding fallacies in its process.A

Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot has ordered a fresh demarcation to be conducted in the disputed area, noting the present demarcation has been conducted by keeping the occupants in dark, without serving any notices to them. He has directed DM, South, to conduct a fresh demarcation of the land and inform the DDA about it immediately.

The DDA was conducted a demolition drive in Mehrauli assembly constituency in the name of the demarcation of the Mehrauli Archeological Park. Gahlot received two representations in the matter - from Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti and the residents of Ladha Sarai village whose land was falling under the demolition area. It was stated in the representations that demarcation of the said land by the Revenue Department is the only source for DDA to identify the encroachment.

Terming the demarcation exercise as not proper, Gahlot has noted in the order: "It is an admitted position that village Ladha Sarai is a densely populated area and the building/residential houses in the said village are very old. In a meeting dated February 10, it was admitted by Revenue officials that before the demarcation of the Khasra Nos. in question, no notice was served to the occupants of the said Khasra Nos. and obviously there was no participation of the said occupants at the time of conducting the said demarcation. Thus, it is apparent that the said demarcation has been conducted by keeping the occupants in dark and no hearing of any nature whatsoever was given to the aggrieved persons."

The DM (South) has been asked to immediately inform the DDA authorities about this order and that a fresh demarcation exercise shall again be carried out.

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