A day after The Pioneer reported how wedding lawns are flouting MCD and green laws with impunity, the Supreme Court appointed Monitoring Committee has cracked down on such marriage venues and motels located in south and north Delhi.
The committee conducted an inspection of the farm houses and motels falling under the jurisdiction of South and North Delhi Municipal Corporations and noticed violations like unauthoriesd construction, misuse of properties, air conditions pandals, shamiyanas, sheds on their premises and holding social functions. It was found that permission from the respective municipal corporations was never taken.
The Monitoring Committee has written to both the corporations, directing them to seal them 48 hour after serving notices.
Confirming the development, senior officials of south and north corporations said they have received the official communiqué and will start sending notices soon.
“Basements for these motels were found being used for commercial purpose in violation of permitted use as per sanctioned plan, which was permitted for parking and services only,” the letter stated.
It further said the Monitoring Committee decided that all the Farm Houses and Motels which are violating “Sanctioned Building Plan” and “Completion Plan” be sealed immediately after serving notices. They will be given a 48-hour time (excepting holidays) as per existing policy, asking them to reply as why their Farm Houses and motels premises being misused should not be sealed?
Earlier on September 18, The Pioneer reported that despite the Supreme Court’s orders to not allow sprawling party lawns in the national Capital to host opulent weddings, owners of these lawns are raking moolah while babus are looking the other way. Sources said officials take their cut on daily basis to let them violate the municipal law and green norms.
The majority of these party lawns are run on diesel gensets and cause traffic jams on already busy roads. Since these party lawns do not have proper water connections, groundwater is illegally extracted and tankers could be seen moving in and out. Motels and party lawns in areas under South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Corporation are violating, the laid down norms with impunity while having “additional built-up areas” and are still running without facing any action.
As there are many such venues across the city, they are operating in areas at Qutub Minar, MG Road, Arjangarh, Bhati mines, Chattarpur Road and GT Karnal Road. Many of the farmhouses built air-conditioned pandals illegally even outside their premises without inviting any objection from the zonal department of the municipal corporation.
According to sources, all these units allegedly paid Rs three to five lakh for organising such wedding functions to the officials of the respective zonal offices. As per estimates, 12000 such illegal pandals, shamiyana and illegal weeding venues exit in the capital along with national highways, causing huge traffic jams.