‘This dadagiri has to stop’: SC puts Delhi Master Plan 2021 changes on hold

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which works under the union government and is the city’s land developer, had suggested the changes to protect traders from a sealing drive in the Capital.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed proposed changes to Delhi’s Master Plan for 2021 that gave relief to commercial establishments by increasing floor area ratio (FAR).

A view of the Supreme Court in New Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which works under the union government and is the city’s land developer, had suggested the changes to protect traders from a sealing drive in the Capital.

“This dadagiri has to stop. You can’t tell this court that you keep passing orders but we will do what we want to. Is this rule of law?” the court said.

The court was upset as the DDA failed to respond to its query on whether it had undertaken a study to assess the environmental impact of the changes in the plan.

During the last hearing, the court had slammed DDA for refusing to learn from past tragedies, and labelled it the “Delhi Destruction Authority”.

A bench headed by justice Madan B Lokur had said the DDA was buckling under pressure to bring in the proposed changes, and not looking at the interests of a larger section of Delhi’s residents.

The DDA also proposed that outlets serving alcohol in residential localities would have to shift and pubs would be given six months to shift from such areas.

The sealing, being carried out under the supervision of an SC monitoring committee, is being conducted in areas where commercial and mixed-land use is not permitted or where extra floors have been built and balcony and basement were being used illegally.