Delhi CM Rekha Gupta orders crackdown on illegal constructions across capital after Satya Niketan building collapse

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to step up action against illegal constructions across the capital, with demolition drives expected in several areas on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister has asked senior MCD officials to remain on the ground and oversee the action, according to a statement issued by the Delhi government.
The crackdown will also extend to paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels. Gupta has directed officials to conduct detailed inspections of PGs and hostels across Delhi and take action wherever unauthorised construction is found.
Officials have also been asked to examine building records to establish when the alleged illegal construction took place and which authority or administration had jurisdiction over the area at the time.
The move is aimed at identifying not just the structures that violate building norms, but also tracing how and when such construction was allowed to come up.
The Chief Minister's directions come as the Delhi government seeks stricter enforcement of building regulations and greater accountability from civic authorities. Senior MCD officials have been instructed to monitor the field-level operations and ensure that action is carried out in accordance with the rules.
Further details on the areas where demolition and inspection drives are being conducted are expected as the civic authorities carry out the exercise.
This comes after the tragic Satya Niketan building collapse near Delhi University’s South Campus. A five-storeyed building being used as a paying guest accommodation collapsed, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals and injuries to others.
On Monday, property owner Urmila Gupta (75), her husband Hariram Gupta (81), and their son Mahesh Gupta (52) were arrested by police. The labour contractor, Sanoj, was also apprehended in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj and was brought for examination, police said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court issued notice and sought responses from the Union Government, Delhi Government and Delhi University on a public interest litigation seeking adequate hostel facilities for students across colleges run by or affiliated with the DU. (ANI)