SC slams DDA over master plan tweaks
NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned a proposal by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to bring changes to the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 to protect traders from the ongoing sealing drive in the Capital, slammed the authority for refusing to learn from past tragedies, and labelled it the “Delhi Destruction Authority”.
A bench headed by Justice Madanb Lokursaid 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.
“You propose to bring in changes in the Master Plan, you want to destroy Delhi? DDA is becoming Delhi Destruction Authority,” Justice Lokur said. “You have not learnt anything from the Uphaar fire tragedy, the recent Kamala Mills incident in Mumbai, or the Bawana fire. Everybody in Delhi has kept their eyes shut. You are just waiting for something to happen!” he added.
Referring to the illegal construction and other civic problems such as poor waste management, rising pollution and lack of parking space, Justice Lokur observed, “The pollution levels in the country are so bad that of the 20 most polluted cities in the world 13 are in India. And of the 13 cities in India, Delhi is at the top. I do not know what civic authorities are doing in Delhi.”
The court asked the DDA to file an affidavit explaining why changes in the Master Plan 2021 were needed.
Under the Master Plan 2021 are 2,183 stretches of roads where commercial and mixed-land use is permitted in the Capital.
The sealing drive is being conducted in areas where this is not permitted or where there have been other violations, such as building an extra floor or the use of a balcony or basement. Some of the markets that have been hit include popular hubs Defence Colony, Hauz Khas and Khan Market in south and central Delhi, leading to protests from traders and shop owners, who have got support from political parties, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Last week, the central government announced a slew of measures aimed at bringing relief to shop owners and ending the sealing drive. The government recommended allowing more construction in commercial and mixed land use areas, regularising commercial establishments in basements, and reducing conversion penalties in residential areas that are used for commercial activity. NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: A scandal involving the Bank of Baroda’s (BOB) South Africa operations, a cabal of businessmen of Indian origin, and South African President Jacob Zuma, has undermined the reputation of India’s second largest bank and resulted in an unprecedented penalty by the South African Reserve Bank.
Today, as his own party urges President Zuma to step aside, Bob’s missteps have dragged the Indian state-owned bank into South Africa’s biggest political crisis since the end of apartheid.
An investigation by HT, on the basis of thousands of pages of court documents, bank records, and SARB audit findings, reveals a laundry list of potential violations, and a seeming disregard for banking ethics and regulations by Bob’s branches in Johannesburg and Durban. Failing to flag suspect transactions, some of which are linked to government bribes
Disregarding conflict of interest in dealings with South Africa’s powerful Gupta family
Bob’s lack of oversight of multiple bank accounts, South African investigators suspect, helped Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta channel kickbacks to senior South African politicians in return for lucrative government contracts. The Gupta brothers left Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in the late 1990s and curried favour with senior members of the ruling African National Congress to build South Africa’s most influential business empire. Violating banking rules to allow Gupta family to pay off home loan for President Zuma’s wife
BOB executives allegedly accepting favours such as hospitality from the Gupta family
At Bob’s South Africa offices, executives sought personal favours from the Guptas while the family used BOB accounts to funnel millions of rand through an international network of secretive companies and trusts.
In one case, this network of shell firms was used to pay-off a BOB loan extended to Zuma’s wife, who used the money to buy a house in a suburb in Pretoria.