Illegal houses under Lokayukta lens

Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a report on the legal status of about 60 properties belonging to elected representatives in the Delhi government and the civic agency.

Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a report on the legal status of about 60 properties belonging to elected representatives in the Delhi government and the civic agency.

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The properties include those of a prominent Delhi minister, 19 MLAs and 40 municipal councillors. The MCD was asked to submit the report by February 3. A municipal councillor had alleged in a complaint to the Lokayukta that these properties did not have MCD-sanctioned building plans.

Justice Sarin had taken cognisance of a letter (copy with HT) from municipal councillor Preeti (dated 12.01.2010) that cites the names of the said elected representatives, along with the property numbers, claiming that the building plans of these structures were never approved by the MCD.

The Lokayukta had asked Preeti, Congress councillor from Vivek Vihar, to provide details about the nature and extent of unauthorised constructions.

“Considering that the informant holds the responsible office of a municipal councillor, the information received deserves to be taken up in earnest for further action. The information is, however, bereft of required particulars regarding the nature and extent of unauthorised construction, for which additional information is required to be called from the informant,” said the order.

Speaking to HT, Preeti said, “My property was sealed by MCD four months ago. I also got a letter from the Lokayukta, stating that I had been carrying out illegal construction. In the hearing, I told them that was not the case. Also, I gave them a list of properties of others who had constructed a number of buildings without getting the building plan sanctioned from the MCD. How could they do that? Now, the MCD has been asked to file a reply on it.”