The Delhi High Court has asked the AAP government to expedite the process of getting high resolution satellite maps of the posh Sainik Farms colony here from 2007-2016 to find out if any unauthorised constructions have taken place there during the period.
The direction by a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar came after the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on November 11 submitted it has written to Geo Spatial Delhi Ltd (GSDL) to provide the images but the agency has sought more time.
The court noted in its November 11 order that the agency appeared to be “under the impression that they have to analyse the maps and prepare a report”.
“No such direction was given by us. We simply want the geospatial maps of Sainik Farms as directed on November 9,” it said and listed the matter for hearing on November 18. The images have to be filed a day before that, the bench said.
The order came after SDMC sought more time to file the images which were to be placed before the court on November 10. The bench on November 9 had given the corporation one day to file the images.
The court had sought the images to itself ascertain whether there have been unauthorised constructions in Sainik Farms from 2007 onwards in violation of its order halting construction in the area.
It had asked for the images as it did not “trust” the corporation’s affidavit on extent of unauthorised construction in the posh colony and had said that SDMC was “trying to cover up” and its report, submitted to the court, was “an eyewash”.
The court had said that after comparing the maps with Google images for the same period, it would point out changes and unauthorised constructions and will give time to SDMC to “come clean” and warned that if no action was taken thereafter, “then we will order a CBI probe”.
The court’s direction were given during hearing of a PIL filed by an NGO alleging illegal construction in Sainik Farms.
( Source – PTI )
