By Agencies
The Delhi High Court has directed senior officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to visit the areas affected by the recent Rajinder Nagar incident, where three IAS aspirants tragically lost their lives. The court has demanded that an affidavit detailing the actions taken by the MCD be submitted by tomorrow and that all relevant files be produced before the court. Additionally, the court has ordered the presence of the MCD Director and added Delhi Police as a respondent in the case.
During the hearing, Advocate Rudra Vikram Singh, representing the petitioner trust Kutumb, drew parallels between the Rajinder Nagar incident and previous incidents like the Mukherjee Nagar fire and the Vivek Vihar incident. Singh referenced a prior High Court order that directed the closure of illegal coaching centers in response to the Mukherjee Nagar incident.
The Delhi High Court criticized the Delhi Government, the MCD, and other civic authorities for their failure to upgrade century-old infrastructure despite changes in bylaws. The court expressed frustration over the inadequate infrastructure that led to water entering basements during the Rajinder Nagar incident. “I’m sorry to say the civic authorities are bankrupt,” the court remarked, highlighting a severe lack of effective action and responsibility.
Further, the court questioned the jurisdictional boundaries of different authorities, noting, “We understand all stakeholders are responsible. We are all part of the city. Even we are opening the drain, closing the drain. But the difference is, you are building the city. This is a strategy where no person is held responsible. We have to find out where the jurisdiction of one authority ends and the responsibility of another begins.”
The court also suggested that if the investigation is not conducted thoroughly by the local authorities, the case might be transferred to a central agency for a more rigorous probe.
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