Delhi govt officials “misusing” construction drive orders, warned by LG and CM

New Delhi: Complaints have reached the chief minister and the lieutenant governor that Delhi govt officials have allegedly misused the directions issued to them after the Hauz Rani B&B blaze and conducted raids on premises that have not violated fire safety and construction rules.Officials aware of the matter said this issue was a point of focus on Monday during a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting. “The LG and the CM pointed out that complaints were being received in large numbers that authorities and officials were harassing even (businesses with) compliant structures. The directions issued last week were being misused to raid premises that have nothing to do with fire safety, instead of focusing on visible ongoing illegal construction,” an official said.Home minister Ashish Sood, PWD minister Parvesh Verma and top officials joined the DDMA meeting where a comprehensive review of ongoing operations against illegal buildings and misuse of licences regarding fire safety and future disaster preparedness was done. The LG made it clear that while safety rules must be followed, enforcement should never become an excuse to harass ordinary residents.Days after the fire tragedy, Delhi govt started taking action against buildings which were made violating fire safety and construction rules. The enforcement drive gathered pace on Monday. Revenue department teams inspected 86 properties, taking the total number of sites checked since June 5 to 452. The inspections were accompanied by action from MCD, which demolished 26 properties and sealed 42 on Monday.Civic authorities also issued 22 show-cause notices for unauthorised construction, 19 notices proposing sealing and nine demolition orders. Since the launch of the crackdown, 123 properties have been demolished, 170 sealed, 106 show-cause notices for unauthorised construction issued, 60 sealing notices served and 42 demolition orders passed, according to official data.The LG stressed the need for accountability. The special teams have been directed to submit regular action-taken reports to enable close monitoring of the exercise and to ensure outcomes. The officers have been told that negligence, lack of diligence or failure to perform would be viewed seriously and will reflect in their annual confidential reports, said an official.To strengthen public participation in the crackdown on illegal construction, the LG suggested that MCD should enable citizens to directly upload photographs of ongoing violations through its 311 app and public portal. The proposal, officials said, is aimed at creating a citizen-led monitoring mechanism.In the meeting, the LG and CM also reviewed the city’s monsoon preparedness, and called for strict implementation of desilting and drainage maintenance work. They said officials should have zero tolerance for waterlogging and flooding.