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Rekha Gupta orders bulldozer action on illegal construction amid outrage over Satya Niketan PG collapse
Rekha Gupta directed officials to examine building records to determine when construction took place illegally and which authority had jurisdiction over it.
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Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to launch bulldozer action against illegal construction in several parts of the city, days after a PG collapse killed seven people. She also ordered all senior MCD officials to remain on the ground during the action. Follow LIVE updates here.
Gupta directed authorities to conduct intensive inspections of all PG hostels in Delhi and take action against illegal construction.
She also ordered officials to examine building records to establish when the illegal construction took place and under whose jurisdiction it was carried out.
Deep Dive
Delhi PG collapse killed 7
The crackdown follows the Satya Niketan building collapse on September 6, in which seven people died. A five-storey building being used as a boys’ PG accommodation caved-in, and the FIR reportedly alleged that four floors had been illegally constructed.
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On September 7, the Delhi government ordered structural audits and safety inspections of PG accommodations, particularly in student hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Satya Niketan and Saket. Authorities were asked to check construction permissions, structural stability, fire-safety NOCs and compliance with building rules.
The MCD has also moved against unsafe structures. An adjoining dilapidated PG building at Satya Niketan was ordered to be demolished after being declared unsafe. The demolition process started on Wednesday.
