NEW DELHI: 24/01/2018: A view of Delhi High Court , in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) said the Centre and the Delhi government should iron out the issue of regularisation of Sainik Farm colony in south Delhi noting that the issue has been dragging for too long.
“Matter is oscillating between the Centre and the state. We can’t permit this to go on and on. You have to take a policy decision. We are not saying what to do. Either regularise or don’t…. (but) You are just dragging. Hume na karna pade, court kar de (let’s not do it, let court do it).. All of you sit together and find a solution, that is what we propose,” a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said.
The court, which was hearing pleas including one filed in 2015, on the colony’s regularisation, sought the assistance of the additional solicitor general and the Delhi government standing counsel.
“What we prima facie find is that the concern raised in the writ petitions needs to be addressed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of government of India, government of NCT of Delhi and the MCD,” the court said.
The court posted the hearing on April 16 and asked the respective lawyers to seek instructions on the matter.
The Centre’s counsel on Wednesday said the status quo, in relation to the colony, should continue as it was an “affluent” neighbourhood and neither repairs nor demolition could be permitted there.
The counsel appearing for one of the petitioners urged the court to allow repairs in the meantime.
A policy could be framed and the regulations could be amended or development charges could be collected from its residents, if there was a will, the court added.
“Unnecessarily these litigations are going on. They are living in fear.. if you want, we will put you together in a mediation centre,” the court said.
The Centre said it took a conscious decision to not get into the regularisation of illegal colonies that were categorised as affluent colonies such as Sainik Farm and it was presently focusing on the re-development work of the 1,797 unauthorised colonies, sub-divided into two classes.
Published – March 13, 2025 09:06 am IST