Mehrauli demolition: Residents suffer while AAP govt says survey was ‘faulty’

As the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) continued its demolition drive for a fourth day in Mehrauli, residents in Mehrauli’s ward number 8 questioned the legitimacy of the exercise. This came after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government said the demarcation of the particular area — in an exercise carried out by its own revenue department — has ‘fallacies’ and the survey report has now been struck down.

“After three days of mindless demolition, the government is now questioning the authenticity of its own survey. Our houses have been razed and we are now on the pavements. Can such arbitrary action be justified? The occupants were not served any notice before the demarcation of the khasra numbers (land parcel identification numbers). The demarcation was arbitrarily done without involving the occupants, or asking them to produce documents that validated their stay in the premises now in question,” said Lata Devi who hails from Bihar.

Demolition drive

Nazia Khan, a resident whose house was demolished, said the police issued them a notice late on Friday evening asking them to vacate the house on Saturday morning. ” When we produced documents like electricity bills, the registry papers, etc., DDA officials were not willing to take a look. The officials accompanied by Delhi Police and other paramilitary personnel were in no mood to cross-check our papers. The mere fact that layers of security forces have been deployed speaks volumes about the government’s intention. It is an act of coercion which does not hold ground in a democracy like ours,” said Nazia.

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“All our savings have been wiped out. We had taken loans from nationalised banks against our properties. Registry papers, scrutiny by bankers while processing our loans and after years of residing in the premises, we are now told that our houses are on government land. This is a man-made disaster, where failure took place at multiple levels took place. The builder, civic officials, banks and other authorities are equally responsible for such a situation,” said Laxmi Singh as she pointed towards the house she once inhabited.

Trilokanti Devi, a single parent who bought a 2-bhk house in Blue Sky Apartment, was lucky as their apartment managed to procure a stay order from the Delhi High Court till February 16. “If we couldn’t procure a stay order, our building would have met the same fate like the one you see now. My husband died during pandemic and I am the sole breadwinner for my family now.”

She also expressed concern about her children’s upcoming board examination and how their studies are being disrupted in the prevailing uncertainty. “If the court order is in our favour, then we are safe, otherwise I am even fearful to think about the possibility of being rendered homeless,” she said.

Meanwhile, social activists and members of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh were at the location trying to pacify the residents. The activists have promised legal assistance to all affected residents.

Demarcation exercise

Raising objection to AAP government’s statement that the demarcation action lacked authenticity and was ‘nebulous’, the DDA said the Delhi government was also on board in the run-up to the long-pending exercise. The demarcation exercise to identify the extent of illegal encroachments for the purpose of removing them was carried out by Delhi government’s revenue department in the presence of DDA and Waqf Board representatives.

The Delhi government has now ordered a fresh demarcation exercise in the area and issued a statement urging the DDA to stop the demolition drive.

DDA’s version

Speaking to The Federal, DDA officials present at the site overseeing the demolition drive said: “The exercise to clear unauthorised encroachments on government land that houses protected ASI monuments among others, was started by the DDA on February 10 in co-ordination with Delhi Police at Lado Sarai village falling in Mehrauli Archaeological Park. The demolition exercise is purely premised on the demarcation of the particular area.” When probed further on the authenticity of the demarcation process and thereby the survey documents, the officials were quick to point out that the survey was done by Delhi government’s revenue department.

Although officials of the revenue department concurred that the Delhi High Court on many occasions directed government authorities to secure, protect and preserve the area, the intended objective couldn’t be realised.

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Insisting on confidentiality, revenue department official said that occupants were not served any notice before the demarcation of the khasra numbers. Also, the occupants did not participate at the time of conducting the demarcation and this may have caused the error.

Meanwhile, DDA is continuing the demolitions despite Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot directing the district magistrate (South) to conduct a fresh demarcation of the land in the area and inform the land-owning agency about it. The DDA officials said the actions against “encroachment” are in line with the Delhi High Court order.