‘MCD acted against half of illegal properties booked’

A Rajya Sabha reply has shown that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has acted only against half of the unauthorised properties booked by it since 2008. The reply was submitted recently by M Ramachandran,Minister of State (Home). It quotes reports from MCD’s zonal offices in the last three years,which states that while 10,416 properties were booked,demolition and sealing was done only on 5,399 properties.

In 2008,2,039 properties were booked,while action was taken on 1,256 properties. In 2009,action was taken against 1,522 properties of 3,979 that were booked. Last year,4,153 properties were booked,but the MCD cracked it whip in on 2,402.

Following the Lalita Park collapse,however,this year has seen an increase in MCD’s drive — action has been taken against 219 properties of the 245 booked.

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The MCD has also begun transferring tainted officials in its Building department,which deals with unauthorised construction in the city,to ‘less sensitive” departments in an effort to remove corruption.

The civic body had faced severe criticism for unchecked growth of unauthorised constructions in the Capital. The Delhi Police had registered 41 cases and arrested 49 for unauthorised constructions last year.