NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to seal 16,726 illegal properties and demolish unauthorised constructions in Meerut as part of a time-bound drive against illegal colonies.
A Bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan also constituted a judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to inquire into the illegal developments in Uldepur.
Hearing a contempt petition over non-compliance, the court said it was "shocked and disturbed" by the large number of illegal residential colonies that had come up in Uldepur after examining a status report submitted by P Guruprasad, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Awas Evam Vikas Parishad.
A survey divided Meerut into four zones for inspection. In Zone A, 16 teams identified 16,726 illegal structures, including 12,907 residential, 874 mixed-use and 2,945 non-residential buildings.
The court directed the authorities to vacate and seal all 16,726 premises as the first step and continue demolition of illegal structures in Zone A without delay.
It also highlighted the risk posed by dilapidated buildings and warned that officers responsible for delays could face personal liability if any casualties occurred.
The Bench noted that assessments for Zones B, C and D had not been completed and directed the authorities to submit comprehensive reports at the next hearing.
In Uldepur, the court noted that 44 sealed properties had received notices. Of these, 20 have been demolished and unauthorised commercial activities stopped. It directed the demolition of the remaining 24 sealed properties at the earliest.
The judicial commission will examine the Meerut Development Authority's alleged five-year inaction, investigate possible collusion by officials and study the nature of the land involved in the Uldepur developments.
The court posted the matter for further hearing in December and directed the state government to submit a detailed status report on the action taken.