New Delhi: Since 2007, action has been initiated against over 530 officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi for their alleged involvement in allowing illegal constructions, an issue on which the civic body faced much flak after a recent building collapse here killed 70 people.
In the three years since 2007 and the current year upto November 15, a total of 8,030 complaints had been received by MCD regarding unauthorised constructions. On the basis of gravity of allegations, 357 of them were taken up for investigation by the Vigilance Department of the MCD.
Among the 357 cases, investigation have been completed in half of them -- 170 -- and 533 officials were proceeded against for departmental action, as per latest official figures.
One employee of MCD City Zone has been dismissed from service during this period for involvement in allowing illegal constructions.
According to the figures, among the officials against whom action was initiated, the highest 78 are from Civil Lines Zone followed by South Zone (66) and Shahdara South Zone (65). Lalita Park falls under Shahdara South Zone.
The issue of unchecked growth of illegal construction in the capital has come under scanner after a multi-storeyed building having two illegal floors collapsed in Lalita Park in Laxmi Nagar here on the night of November 15.
Delhi government has blamed the corporation for the failure to prevent unauthorised constructions while the opposition Congress in MCD has alleged that local-level officials of the civic body take bribes to allow unauthorised constructions.
"They have a rate chart like a hotel menu...the bribe amount increases according to height of the building," Leader of Opposition in MCD J K Sharma alleged.
Ruling BJP councillor Jagdish Mamgain also said he has long been raising the issue of alleged corruption in the MCD Building Department.
Municipal Commissioner K S Mehra had recently said whenever there is a complaint about unauthorised constructions against any official, the MCD initiates departmental inquiry or other necessary action. "No general statement should be made about corruption in Building Department."
Officials said during the ongoing survey being undertaken by the MCD, the height of buildings in approved, unauthorised and unauthorised regularised residential colonies will be checked.
In many areas, structures of over 15 m in height are not allowed according to Master Plan for Delhi and buildings which have been constructed violating this norm may face action, including demolition of unauthorised floors.