News Article: Rajasthan: No to regularization of Encroachment on public lands: Supreme Court

(This is a free-hand translation of the article attached below)

Rajasthan Patrika

31^st August 2011

Plan to develop Jaipur as World Class Heritage City approved

Juris News @ New Delhi

The Supreme Court has directed the State Government, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) and Jaipur Municipal Corporation, not to regularise any encroachment or any construction on the public land falling under their Master and Zonal Plans. It was also clarified that this decision of the Court would not come in the way of Government's policy based decision for the rehabilitation of the unregulated colonies.

The bench comprising of Justice G.S.Singhvi and A.K.Ganguli issued these orders after hearing the statements of Chief Attorney G.S.Bafna, and Attorneys Sushil Kumar Jain, Punit Jain and others. The Court on Tuesday also accepted the Chief Attorney Bafna's proposal to make Jaipur a World Class Heritage City.

Empowered Committee to replace Monitoring Committee

The Court directed that the Monitoring Committee appointed by the Rajasthan High Court should cease working from 15^th September. In its place, the Court, on the suggestion from the State Government has set up an Empowered Committee with two retired judges V.S.Dave and I.S.Israni, to develop Jaipur as the World Class Heritage City. This Committee would ensure the implementation of the plan after consultations with the State Government. The Court said that the tenure of the Committee would be for two years and will come into effect from 15^th September 2011. This Committee would advise the State Government, Municipal Corporation and the JDA on how to stop the encroachments, illegal land use and the illegal constructions.

Emphasis on several issues

The Empowered Committee would also oversee the issues of sanitation, traffic system, public utilities and also the issues related to the parking in the city.

The Committee would also oversee the issue of temporary and permanent encroachments on the public lands falling under the territories of JDA, Municipal Corporation and Rajasthan Housing Board and also within the complete limits of Jaipur. The Committee would have the authority to accept the suggestions and complaints from the people and also to issue directives to the concerned departments.

The Committee would also advise the JDA and JMC on the problems relating to unregulated colonies

First Report in December 2011

JDA would be the nodal agency to provide all the facilities to the Committee. JDA would also be responsible for the payments to be made to the experts. The State Government would finalise the remuneration and other facilities to be given to the members of the Empowered Committee and that would be borne by the JDA. The Court also directed that the Empowered Committee would submit its first report in the first week of December this year. The next hearing would be on 13^th December.