New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) The AAP on Monday alleged the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Lt Governor V K Saxena are bulldozing people’s homes in Mehrauli despite the city government cancelling the demarcation order.
Addressing a press conference, AAP MLA Somnath Bharti claimed Saxena told him in a meeting on Monday that he would “clean up Delhi”.
The DDA, which comes under the BJP-led government at the Centre, launched the demolition drive in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park area on February 10, triggering protests from locals.
The demolition drive will be carried out till March 9, according to officials.
“Despite the Kejriwal government cancelling the demarcation order, the BJP-ruled DDA and LG are bulldozing homes of Delhiites. DDA and Delhi Police come under central government nominee LG V K Saxena. I submitted a letter to him requesting him to stop the demolition but he refused.
“The LG said, ‘we will clean up Delhi’, which means they will demolish unauthorised colonies, including multi-storey buildings and slum areas,” Bharti claimed.
The Delhi government had on Saturday asked the DDA to stop its anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli and announced a fresh demarcation exercise in the area.
According to officials, the DDA used the revenue department’s demarcation as the basis for the demolition of alleged encroachments.
On the orders of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Revenue Minister Kailash Gehlot reviewed the demarcation and termed it wrong, but Mehrauli is being “vandalised” despite the cancellation of the demarcation, Bharti charged.
“It has been clearly stated in the order of the Delhi government that this demarcation has been done wrongly. If the basis of demolition is wrong, then there should be no demolition,” he said.
AAP Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav said “severe injustice” is being done to the people of Mehrauli.
“I appreciate our CM’s prompt action in this matter. Now, it is clear to the public that the DDA and the LG are responsible for this unfair demolition,” he said.
“It is important to remember that people whose houses are 30 to 40 years old, who pay property tax, have electrical connections, etc., are individuals whose official registrations are suddenly worthless because of an arbitrary demarcation. I beg the LG to promptly put an end to this,” he said. PTI SLB DIV DIV
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