The Hindu : Councillors take DDA to task for demolition

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Tuesday, Apr 01, 2003

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Councillors take DDA to task for demolition

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MARCH 31. The Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today unanimously passed a resolution condemning the demolition of its community toilet by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Naharpur village of Rohini North-West Delhi last week.

Members of the high-power Standing Committee would meet the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, on Tuesday to lodge their protest against DDA -- of which he happens to be ex-officio Chairman -- and the Delhi police for providing security forces to the DDA to demolish the community toilet.

Responding to the queries raised by the agitated members, the Standing Committee Chairman, Ram Babu Sharma, asked the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, to initiate steps to ensure that the contempt proceeding was started against DDA officials responsible for the demolition and the damage charge was collected from them. It should also be ensured that the community toilet is built at the earliest.

As soon as the Committee started its meeting -- the last one of the current financial year -- the senior BJP Councillor from Rohini, Vijender Kumar, raised the issue and alleged the urinal was demolished by DDA and Delhi Police to help land and building mafia of the area. "There is a great resentment among residents and shopkeepers of the area. In fact, this was a test case. If we do not raise our voice here many such toilet would be demolished by the DDA,'' he said.

Terming it as a serious issue, the Standing Committee Deputy Chairman, Ashok Jain, said that officials of DDA and Delhi Police responsible for this should be called to the MCD for explanation. While, Congress Councillor, Surinder Pal Singh, demanded that CBI be requested to inquire the matter, his party colleague, Pratap Narayan, said that an FIR be lodged against the DDA. "The MCD is not being allowed to file an FIR,'' Mr. Kumar said. Braj Mohan Sharma, Roshan Lal Ahuja, Kunwar Sen, Jagdish Pradhan and Ramesh Pandit were the other Councillors to speak on the issue.

In his reply, Mr. Mehta said that he has tried to raise the issue at the highest level in DDA. Initially the MCD was informed that the urinal was demolished as it was partially built on the DDA land, but later the civic body received a letter from the DDA that the land was of MCD and not theirs, he said

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