NEW DELHI: Amid heavy protests against the DDA demolition drive in Mehrauli, Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday ordered to conduct a fresh demarcation in the disputed area. Terming the demarcation exercise as not proper, Gahlot noted, “It is an admitted position that village Ladho Sarai is a densely populated area and residential houses in the said village are very old.
In a meeting held on February 10, it was admitted by revenue officials that before the demarcation, no notice was served to the occupants and obviously there was no participation of the said occupants at the time of conducting the said demarcation.
That clearly indicates that this demarcation exercise has been conducted by keeping the occupants in dark and no hearing of any nature whatsoever was given to the aggrieved persons, said Gahlot. Before this, the local AAP leader Naresh Yadav reached the demolition site at Mehrauli with documents claiming that the demarcation used by DDA to base its demolition order is substantially different from earlier demarcation reports.
However, he along with AAP MLA Somnath Bharti was detained by the Delhi Police. In this regard, Yadav requested Kailash Gahlot to intervene in this matter. “All the structures, which are claimed to be illegal by DDA are more than 30 years old which include Nirankari Bhawan, Church Colony, and Mehrauli bus stand. Around one lakh people will be homeless if this demolition will not be stopped,” said Naresh Yadav.
DDA demolition drive continued on Saturday amid heavy security. On the second day, the DDA demolished the structures in the Aam Bagh and Brijwasi colonies. According to the demolition notice, the land on which the demolition is being carried out is a part of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and the
‘existing unauthorised encroachment’ is acting as a hindrance to the development of the park.