'What are you doing on regularisation of Sainik Farm' Delhi HC to Centre Delhi govt

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Centre and the Delhi government over the regularisation of South Delhi’s Sainik Farm colony saying residents there were "hanging fire for years without being able to lay a brick for repairs".
     A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed the authorities were not taking any final decision on the issue and just "passing the buck" which ultimately "stops at the court".
     "The basic question remains as to what the central government in consultation with the state government is doing for regularising these colonies. You have to make a final decision. It appears again that everybody is trying to pass the buck and as happens in these matters, the buck ultimately stops at the court," it said.
     The bench reiterated officers in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) should sit together to decide on the fate of its residents who had petitioned the court.
     The court was hearing a batch of petitions over regularisation of the Sainik Farm colony with certain petitioners also urging the bench to pass an order to allow them to carry out repairs in their properties.
     During Wednesday's hearing, the court asked why the authorities couldn't just bring a simple legislation to mitigate the problems of the residents.
     "First and last thing we want to know is what is it that you are doing about these colonies? We can't be more clearer than this. They have been hanging fire without being able to lay a brick even for repairs and yet you are continuing to let them live the way they are for the last 10-15 years," the bench said.
     The high court added, "You know very well why they are existing, how they are existing till now. None of the government will do anything to mitigate the problems."
     The court further said the resident had been there for decades now and were not going to go anywhere.      "Think about a possible solution because within the current statutory framework perhaps nothing is possible," it added.
     After the Delhi government counsel said the 2019 notification of the Centre barred Delhi government from entering into the issues of affluent colonies, the bench said the Delhi administration will have to get its voice heard before the relevant authorities if it says it cannot do something needed for the residents.
     The court said the situation created today perhaps can't be sorted out without legislation and the authorities should think of a proper legislation.
     "We are only concerned because the residents have been residing there since the 1950s and the constructions are all illegal but if you undertake a demolition to such a large extent then we can't do anything except to dismiss the petitions," it added.
     The matter was posted for October 8.
     The court has been hearing petitioner, one filed as early as 2015, over the colony's regularisation.

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