The Delhi government on Tuesday demolished an illegally constructed shrine built on government land in the middle of a road as part of an ongoing road-widening project linking Pitampura and Shalimar Bagh, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
The demolition was carried out to remove an obstruction from the route and facilitate the road expansion project, which aims to improve traffic flow and ease congestion on one of the key stretches in northwest Delhi.
Govt Cites Zero-Tolerance Policy
According to the CMO, the government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal construction and encroachments on public land.
The road-widening project is intended to provide commuters with a smoother and obstruction-free route, while the demolition forms part of a wider campaign to remove unauthorised structures that hinder public infrastructure works.
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Crackdown On Illegal Buildings Continues
The action comes amid an intensified enforcement drive across the national capital. Since June 1, authorities have demolished 94 illegally constructed buildings and sealed 114 others for violations of building byelaws and fire safety norms, the government said.
The drive gathered pace after the June 3 Malviya Nagar fire tragedy. Since then, 63 buildings have been demolished and 97 sealed. Officials from the Revenue Department inspected 124 sites across Delhi's 13 districts, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other agencies have jointly carried out demolition and sealing operations.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government would continue strict action against unauthorised construction, encroachments and violations of safety norms. She also said the government was considering a third-party insurance framework that would link insurance coverage for buildings and public-use establishments to compliance with structural and fire safety standards.
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Separately, the DDA has directed officials to identify buildings with major deviations from approved plans and initiate action, warning that architects responsible for serious violations could face blacklisting.
(With inputs from ANI)