NEW DELHI: Though two days have passed since the Delhi High Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to act against erring politicians who have carried out illegal constructions, the civic body is still groping in the dark, clueless about how to go about the whole issue. On the one hand, Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam refused to talk to the media on the issue, while on the other Mayor Satbir Singh accused Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of interfering in their work and complicating the entire issue.

While the Municipal Commissioner's office said it was yet to receive a copy of the court order and would proceed in the matter only after properly scrutinising the records and taking legal opinion, the Mayor accused Ms. Dikshit of creating confusion by giving contradictory statements to the media. "On one hand Ms. Dikshit says the matter was related to the civic body, on the other she gives statements on how we should carry out the demolition procedure. All this creates confusion and gives the impression that we are biased and not doing our job properly," said the Mayor.

Meanwhile, the new court order has already started creating ripples in the MCD administration that is already facing widespread criticism from public for adopting a pick-and-choose policy and sparing politicians and other influential people who have also constructed illegal buildings. Throughout Thursday, the Mayor held parleys with his party leaders in the civic body regarding the latest order even as senior MCD officials remained tight-lipped on the issue.

However, in an interesting development, the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Badli, Jai Bhagwan Agarwal -- against whom the court has asked the MCD to file an "Action Taken Report" on unauthorised constructions done by him -- on Thursday pulled down parts of the illegal structures. This step is likely to create pressure on other defaulting MLAs and political leaders, particularly that of the ruling Congress.

Meanwhile, demolitions squads resumed their exercise after a day's break and targeted 20 properties in all but two zones -- Rohini and South. It razed three commercial and residential properties each besides partly demolishing eight commercial and three residential structures.

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