Supreme Court Slams Authorities Over Illegal Constructions, Warns of Personal Action Against Officials

The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on civic authorities over unauthorised construction in Delhi-NCR, saying only "face-saving exercises" were being carried out while officials responsible for allowing violations were escaping accountability.

A bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Sheel Nagu said recent building collapses and fire tragedies showed that authorities had failed to act despite repeated court directions.

'Only Builders Are Being Targeted'

The bench observed that enforcement agencies were taking action only against builders while officials responsible for monitoring illegal construction were not being held accountable.

"Only face-saving exercises are being done, where only builders, etc., are being apprehended and not the officials who are in charge of areas where rampant violations have happened. We reiterate the concern of this court as indicated on May 20," the bench observed, according to Bar & Bench.

The judges noted that incidents such as the Saket building collapse, the Malviya Nagar fire and the Lucknow coaching centre fire had occurred despite earlier judicial warnings.

Supreme Court Raps MCD

The court also criticised the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), saying that although notices had been issued against illegal constructions, authorities had failed to follow up with enforcement.

Justice Amanullah remarked that rampant construction had continued despite High Court orders restraining such activity.

"We will pass orders, and it will pinch a lot of people. We'll attach personal responsibility on the officers and will speak through black and white," the bench was quoted as saying by Bar & Bench.

IIT Delhi Experts to Inspect Sites

The Supreme Court directed the formation of an inspection team comprising two senior professors from IIT Delhi and two draftsmen, who will be accompanied by MCD officials.

The team will inspect areas including Malviya Nagar, Saket and Lajpat Nagar in Delhi and submit a report to the court.

Following submissions by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the court limited the Delhi inspection to these three localities, while directing a similar inspection in Lucknow's Aliganj area.

The exercise will be coordinated by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati.

The court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of action taken against illegal constructions in the state.

Recent Incidents Triggered Court's Concern

The observations came in the wake of several major accidents linked to alleged building safety violations.

In May, a multi-storey building in Delhi's Saidulajab area of Saket collapsed, killing six people. Police alleged that the owner was attempting to add two more floors despite apparent violations.

On June 22, at least 15 people were killed and nine others were injured after a massive fire engulfed a three-storey commercial building in Aliganj, Lucknow.

The bench recalled its May 20 order, in which it had highlighted rampant illegal construction in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar and warned that such structures posed serious safety risks because they were built beyond permissible limits.

"We hoped that the officials would take action, but nothing happened," the court observed.