Released on = November 5, 2006, 11:24 pm

Press Release Author = BRIJ BHARDWAJ

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = Delhi as a city is paying a heavy price for neglect by
various agencies of the government as well as legal forums like the High Court and
the Supreme Court who failed to do their jobs for at least the last two decades
during which a large number of areas in the residential sector were converted into
commercial establishments

Press Release Body = Delhi as a city is paying a heavy price for neglect by various
agencies of the government as well as legal forums like the High Court and the
Supreme Court who failed to do their jobs for at least the last two decades during
which a large number of areas in the residential sector were converted into
commercial establishments. This happened because the planners had failed to provide
enough space for commercial activity and the local bodies were prepared to overlook
all violations; for a price. In many cases if the issue could not be resolved by
greasing Babu's palms, the relief was available by going to the courts who were
always willing to grant stays and the cases lingered on in our system for years
allowing people to flout the law with impunity.



The total mess was created through a nexus between the officials, politicians,
police and the legal forums which connived by allowing violations to stay through
various legal maneuverings for which heavy fee was charged. Above all every one
could hope for his illegal buildings being regularized when time to ask for votes
came around every five years. The number of illegal colonies regularized is
huge-being in hundreds-while the colonies which were demolished were only a handful



The situation was allowed to deteriorate to a point where residents were forced to
leave their traditional homes where they had lived and thrived as the pressure of
commercial activity made living impossible. All this time politicians including
leaders of Congress as well as BJP continued to connive with builders mafia and
corrupt officials. Courts also offered no relief till the city with the exception of
a small enclave where the few fortunate ones who occupied high offices lived close
to their offices in area which British had built as a exclusive club for the
handful of rulers. The natives who came after them also chose to keep their distance
from the ordinary public.



Under the circumstances, the decision by the Supreme Court, the highest dispenser of
justice in the country is neither fair nor justifiable as they are condoning all
those who created the mess, but are punishing the survivors. No decrees are being
issued to punish the guilty, but bulldozers are under taking demolition to punish
all those are unfortunate to be doing their business as it has been done for years.







According to one interpretation, possession of a property gives you majority rights
of ownership as indicated by our rent regulations where payment of few rupees
entitle people to remain in occupation of properties worth crores and thrive while
real owners are forced to live in object poverty.



The present implementation where innocent trades like legal profession, medical men,
chartered accountants and many others are not being spread also falls harshly on all
those who supplied you basics like medicines, corner shops selling you a toothpaste,
or a enterprising house wife helping children to learn their basic steps before they
joined regular schools. One can understand that all hazardous industries, large
commercial establishments must go but why punish the harmless and even essential
sections of society.



It is difficult to understand what damage or harm can be caused by a professionals
working and living in residential area because he has got few computers installed to
do his work and has few places to store his files. But the list is being agreed to
with lot of reluctance and so far at least newspapers, news agencies and journalist
have been kept out of it through the legal profession is fortunate to be included in
the exempt list. One would not to suggest that courts as well as Finance Minister
has a soft corner for men in black coats but both have shown favours. One by
excluding them from paying service tax on their plea that they only charge but
perform no service as for courts being kind to them no reason has been assigned.



The present drama being enacted also has a financial angle. A large number of malls
and commercial buildings that were coming up in various areas had very few buyers
before the present drive started in earnest. But after the drive, the builders of
malls and commercial space are only counting their riches and walking to the banks
with their pockets full. With such disparities, one often wonders why only the poor
venerable sections suffer.



The owners of big stories, retail stores will certainly find alternative work and
space, but the poor ones will have to look for alternative jobs. Same will be the
fate of poor employees of large establishments who will either have to migrate or
look for new jobs not easy in case they are no more in their youth. As for the
building mafia they made their fortunes by turning residential colonies into slums
will make more fortunes by building commercial space and malls



The officials and courts can be depended upon to wait another ten to twenty years
before they wake up to fresh violations of master plan or other norms. In the
meantime politicians and officials will thrive promising that they will protect them
and they could defy laws with impunity as none would be around to share the sorrows
if another set of judges decide to order fresh set of demolitions on some future
date.



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Contact Details = Anushree Verma
J1824
C.R park
New Delhi