New Delhi: Ruckus continued in Delhi’s Mehrauli on Monday as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) continued its anti-encroachment drive on its fourth day. The demolition drive launched on Friday triggered protests from locals. "We told them to wait for an hour during which the stay order will come. We had applied for a stay order. This is hooliganism. But they are not ready to wait," news agency ANI quoted locals saying.
A drive to clear unauthorised encroachments on Government land, that houses protected ASI monuments among others, was started by the DDA on February 10 in co-ordination with Delhi Police at Lado Sarai Village situated in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
The demolition drive will be carried out till March 9, news agency PTI reported citing officials. Earlier on Saturday, the Arvind Kejriwal government asked the DDA to stop its anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli and announced a fresh demarcation exercise in the area, officials said, as reported by PTI. The DDA used the revenue department's demarcation as the basis for the demolition of alleged encroachments, they stated.
Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot had ordered a fresh demarcation exercise in Mehrauli. The minister said the residents of the area cannot be displaced until a fresh demarcation is conducted, the officials said, as reported by PTI. DDA officials, however, said the demolition drive will continue.
In a statement, Gahlot said the DDA used the revenue department's demarcation as the basis for its demolition drive but the Delhi government has struck down the demarcation after finding shortcomings in it.
"The demarcation was conducted by keeping the residents in dark and without serving any notices to them," the minister claimed, as quoted by PTI. He added that the district magistrate (South) has been asked to conduct a fresh demarcation of the land and inform the DDA about it immediately.
Nearly 1,200 sqm of government land was reclaimed during the anti-encroachment drive in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park area a day ago, DDA officials said, as reported by PTI. The exercise will continue, they said. The DDA action comes a month ahead of a G20 meeting planned to be hosted at the archaeological park in south Delhi.