North DMC fails to remove encroachments

Allegedly, shops and properties of influential people are at stake.

After the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) failed to act on the orders of the Public Grievance Commission (PGC) to remove heavy encroachments and illegal structures in the Old Rajinder Nagar area here, the PGC has directed Dipan Kapur, the complainant, to move the Delhi High Court.

The issue of encroachments in the Old Rajinder Nagar area had come to light when the complainant had filed an appeal at the PGC after he failed to get a positive reply from the North DMC, despite repeated complaints and RTIs.

Dipan Kapur told The Sunday Guardian: “After my first complaint, two illegally opened shops in the area were closed down, but the rest are operating. Shops in the area also run without any licences, while many run on illegally acquired licences.”

“The North DMC has failed to act because many of the shops there are owned by influential people. Two of the hotels — Hotel Madonna and Hotel Megha Shereton — are owned by Rajesh Bhatia, the local councillor. Because of these people, the Standing Committee of North DMC has stopped any demolition in the area. I have also been attacked several times, but police has failed to take any action,” Kapur said.

However, Rajesh Bhatia, the local councillor, refuted all allegations: “We take action against any encroachments.”

Since the PGC had received the complaint in 2014, it has been trying to get the encroachments removed. According to the Action Taken Report filed at the Rajinder Nagar police station in the latest hearing last week, “A mass encroachment removal programme was to be conducted on two occasions this year and adequate police force was made available, but on both the days, the programme was called off by the North DMC.”

Following this, N. Dilip Kumar, PGC member, in his directions, said, “It is obvious that encroachments by influential people...are being protected. The complainant is advised to approach the High Court.”