New Delhi, Jan 8 (UNI) Delhi High Court has directed a survey of encroachments around Jama Masjid and ordered the removal of illegal structures. The order comes at a time when an encroachment removal drive is already underway around the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque near Turkman Gate.
Meanwhile, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood said “some NGOs had approached the High Court over encroachments in the area in the form of illegal parking and illegal shops”.
“Acting on the plea, the court has directed the concerned agency to conduct an inquiry and remove illegal encroachments within two months.” he added
Sood further said “If such an order has been passed by the court, it should be welcomed and not viewed from a political angle. Targeting the previous government, he said it had claimed to have remodelled Chandni Chowk, while Jama Masjid also falls within Shahjahanabad”.
“These were failures of the previous government and that the current government would gradually resolve inherited issues by following court orders and other measures,” Sood stated
He added that Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid are part of the special area of the Walled City and all work will be carried out in a phased manner.
On the issue of encroachment removal, Sood said the court has clearly ordered the responsible agencies to act within two months, adding that the country functions as per the Constitution.
