Norms on blacklisting builders, contractors all set: Centre to SC

New Delhi, Aug. 28: The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it has finalised a set of guidelines for blacklisting builders, contractors and architects responsible for unauthorised constructions in the national capital.

The Centre told a bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta that an advisory has also been sent to states to take precautionary measures against illegal constructions in their respective areas.

The bench sought to know from additional solicitor general ( ASG) A. N. S. Nadkarni, representing the Centre, as to whether the advisory was sent to the states prior to the recent fire incident in a posh Mumbai high- rise which had claimed four lives.

“Yes. It was sent before the fire incident ( in Mumbai’s Parel area),” the ASG said, adding “there are buildings in Mumbai where the fire tenders cannot even reach”.

He said the guidelines on blacklisting the builders, contractors and architects found responsible for unauthorised constructions in Delhi were framed in pursuance to the apex court’s July 18 direction.

The ASG said once the guidelines would be approved by the court, they would be made public. During the hearing, the bench sought to know from the DDA as to how many complaints did they receive on the mobile application launched to enable the citizens lodge complaints against illegal constructions and encroachments.