NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Centre for going soft against illegal constructions in the official residences of Union ministers Arjun Singh and Ambika Soni, among 51 other building outlaws, in the Lutyen's Bungalow Zone (LBZ) here.
Dismissing the Centre's plea that demolition would put the occupants to inconvenience, a Division Bench of Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Reva Khetrapal said, "You (government) should show your sincerity...Inconvinience to an occupant cannot be a ground for non-removal of illegal constructions".
Filing an affidavit on Tuesday, the central government stated that total 71 bungalows had violated the revised guidelines issued in 2006 and the Ministry of Urban Development has started taking action against the violators.
The CPWD has to take action against 51 bungalows occupied by VIPs including the Akbar Road residences of Union Ministers Ambika Soni and Arjun Singh, the affidavit said.
The Court's remark for immediate action against the violators of guidelines followed a submission made by the Centre's counsel that "removal of illegal constructions would cause inconvenience to the occupants," and sought more time to to remove illegal constructions in the bungalows.
To this submission, the Bench reacted saying "Every body would say so because they will be restrained from using the additional space."
"Make uniform laws...Those following the law are deprived of using additional space and those who take law into their hand are allowed to occupy the additional space," the Bench noted.
On the last date of hearing, Amicus Curiae Rekha Palli had told the court that in September 2006 guidelines for the Lutyen's zone were revised by the ministry.
