Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit
27 06 2008Taking serious view of the Centre’s move to regularise 1400 unauthorised colonies in Delhi, without providing basic amenities like water, power and roads, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit stating therein the steps being taken to provide basic infrastructure for resettlement colonies having a population over 25 lakh.
A vacation bench, comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and G S Singhvi, issued the directions when the matter was mentioned by amicus curie Ranjit Kumar, who contended before the court that Master Plan Delhi (MPD) 2021 was being examined by the apex court and the government was going to regularise 1400 unauthorised colonies without making any provisions for basic amenities like water, electricity, roads, schools and hospitals.
Is the government in a realistic position to provide basic amenities like water and electricity to these colonies after regularisation, especially when it is unable to meet the requirement of the people in the existing colonies, the court asked.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in sealing matters, made a grievance that none of the departments of the Delhi government had filed any affidavit before the apex court detailing the infrastructure development plan for the unauthorised colonies.
Ranjit Kumar said the matter relating to regularisation of unauthorised colonies was fixed for hearing on July 7 and if no affidavit was filed, it would again be adjourned. The court asked the Delhi government counsel Wasim Qadri to take necessary steps to see that the requisite responses were filed in time.
Taking a cue from Kumar’s grievance, a vacation Bench comprising justices Arijit Pasayat and G S Singhvi said: “The main question that needed to be answered by the government is that when they have not been able to provide adequate electricity and water to the existing colonies, what steps have they taken to meet the increasing demands from the existing as well as the unauthorised colonies that they intend to regularise.”
The Bench, realising that the matter was not before it to pass remarks, clarified: “We are not saying anything. It is the plea of the petitioners that if the government goes on adding colonies without augmenting power and water supplies, then we would be back to square one. What will be the effect?”
It asked Qadri to inform Solicitor General G E Vahanvati about the impending questions that the government might face during the hearing scheduled for July 7.
