After HC rap Delhi govt assures to scrap panel over Chandni Chowk maintenance

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) The Delhi government on Thursday assured to scrap a committee for Chandni Chowk redevelopment after it came to light that the Delhi High Court had only asked for suggestions.
     The Delhi government's counsel informed Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela that the officers misread the court order.
     The bench rapped the authorities for unilaterally constituting a high-level committee to maintain Chandni Chowk as the court had merely sought its suggestions.
     "We wanted you (Delhi government) to give your suggestions and instead you formed the committee and now you are taking the plea that you misread the order. We only intended to form the committee just to ensure that the work functions under our supervision," the bench said.
     The government counsel said the panel would be immediately scrapped.
     The court accepted the counsel's submission on recalling of the March 26 government order.
     The bench then ordered the parties to file their suggestions within four weeks on the setting up of the high-level committee in pursuance to the February order.
     In its February 18 order, the bench proposed a committee comprising officers at the highest level of all the agencies and other experts to ensure the area was maintained appropriately.
     The court also proposed the terms of reference to such a committee should be preparing a road map for maintaining and preserving the area and other ancillary issues.
     The bench, however, learnt on March 26 that the Delhi government's Public Works Department had formed a high level committee.
     Expressing its astonishment, the court's May 21 order noted the respondents were only required to give its suggestions in respect of the formation of the committee and not for forming the committee itself.
     The court on Thursday observed the government's efforts for redeveloping Chandni Chowk were not inadequate or insufficient.
     "You have created an authority (Shahjanabad Redevelopment Corporation) and you sanction a hefty amount but the court had to intervene time and again because whatever zeal or effort you were making that is not yielding the desired results. Every time the matter comes up before the court, you show your zeal on paper by filing affidavits," it said.
     The government's counsel said the area was beautified as photographs would indicate but pointed out an "extremely high footfall".
     There were miscreants who were destroying public property and authorities were doing the work on a daily basis, the counsel added.
     The court was dealing with a PIL of Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal which claimed a "highly neglected, disturbing and pathetic state of affairs" in the area under the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project from Lal Quila Road up to Fateh Puri Masjid and its surrounding areas including metro stations.
     Senior advocate Sanjeev Ralli and lawyer Mohit Mudgal, appearing for the petitioner, said despite the redevelopment, the area fell into chaos due to neglect and lack of attention on the part of authorities.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)