In what could be termed as brazen move to secure illegal marriage pandals erected at farmhouses and motels in its jurisdiction, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has prepared a new policy. The proposal will be tabled in the next Standing Committee meeting of the SDMC for approval. The aforesaid policy has provision to defer the sealing of hotels, motels and farmhouses till the proposed policy is in place.
As per the new policy, the definition of pandals, motels and hotels have been changed to provide relief to the owners of sprawling party lawns who host opulent weddings illegally. Sources said the new policy is aimed at saving big fish as they are major source of unclaimed revenue.
The policy has also proposed that Rs 10 lakh shall be deposited by the owner and that will be refundable after expiry of one year if no violation is reported within the term. In case of open land outside the sanctioned covered area is used for holding social functions, the annual fix charges would have to be paid by the owners on entire covered area. However, it has no mention what the charges would be?
It also proposes that the charges shall be of difference in the ground coverage as allowed in table 5.4 (c), and (f) of MPD-2021. The rate shall be charged at the rate of Rs 4.90 per square ft per day of area of pandal which may be revised by the competent authority from time to time, it stated. It further reads that it shall be responsibility of the owner to ensure fire and life safety measures in accordance with the law.
What is amusing is that all these measures are already on the paper but instead of taking action against these farmhouses and motels, changes have been effected in the new proposed plan to avoid sealing of these premises and to mislead monitoring committee, a senior official told The Pioneer on the condition of anonymity.
As per the new provisions, violators can be fined Rs five lakh, for repeated violation the fine would be Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh would be imposed in case the violation reported for third time. In case the laid down provisions violated for the fourth time, the civic body would be debarred the motel or farmhouse for two years from holding any social function.
Confirming the move, SDMC Standing Committee Chairperson Shikha Rai said the proposals are being prepared and would be discussed in the standing committee for its implementation.
It may be recalled that the apex court appointed Monitoring Committee on September 21, had directed to both the north and south corporations to seal all these within 48 hour after serving notices for defying rules but instead of sealing these units, the corporation is finding way to save them. It seems that the officials of municipal corporations are well-connected owners of illegally running marriage houses and their “complicity” is quite obvious as even after the Supreme Court appointed Monitoring Committee took strong note of these illegal farmhouses, violations still “galore” and the official action seems to be nothing more than just an “eye-wash”.
The south civic body had served notices to 16 motels in Najafgarh zone and 20 motels in the south zone. Interestingly, not even a single notice served to the farmhouses comes under South Corporation. However, a senior SDMC official said survey would be conducted soon to find such farmhouses which defying rules. While the north corporation claimed to have surveyed 41 properties and served notices to 26 motels and six farmhouses comes under Narela and Civil Line zone. Officials of both the corporations said that these properties would be sealed only after receiving their response. Interestingly, the civic officials also failed to answer if they (violators) have given any time to respond. Interestingly, the second deadline October 15 has also passed but nothing has been done.
Motels and party lawns in areas under SDMC are rampant and running while having “additional built-up areas, violating MCD and Green norms with impunity” 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.
An estimated, 12000 such illegal pandals, shamiyana and illegal wedding venues exit in the capital along with national highways, causing huge traffic jams. What is worse is that majority of these party lawns are run on diesel generators 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.
Many of the farmhouses have humongous air-conditioned pandals built illegally even outside their premises. “Despite blatant violations of laid down green and municipal norms, zonal offices of the three municipal corporations, have been looking the other way”, said an official pleading anonymity.
