Mumbai’s killer potholes on SC’s mind, as it says Delhi demolition drive must go on

NEW DELHI: Mumbai’s potholes were on the mind of the Supreme Court, when it said on Wednesday there would be "no stopping of sealing or demolition" of unauthorised constructions in Delhi. The apex court's direction came after the Centre told a bench comprising Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that it had not given any instructions to authorities in Delhi to stop their sealing drive against illegal constructions. When Attorney General K K Venugopal said violators should be given proper show cause notice at least of 48 hours before their property is sealed, the bench said, “it is one thing to say the people have to be informed and it is another thing to say officials should wake up...Did you see the bus submerged near Minto Road in the heart of Delhi after few minutes of rain? In Mumbai potholes are killing people and after some days some official says he has counted the potholes. What is going on in this country??” according to online reports. Sending a strong message to civic authorities of the national capital, the bench made it clear that sealing and demolition of illegal structures in Delhi would not stop just because the centre had notified the amendments in the Delhi Master Plan. The court also asked the Union government to notify rules drafted to blacklist the builder, contractor and architects responsible for unauthorised constructions in the capital and who has approved sanction plan for an illegal construction.