PIL In Delhi High Court Seeks Stronger Construction Standards, Administrative Accountability In Building Norms

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking stronger standards regarding constructions and administrative accountability in the building norms in national capital.

The plea filed by Indraprastha Renaissance Trust was listed today before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Arun Bhardwaj.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner-Trust said that the plea seeks stronger accountability of officials as well as digital system and a system which is preventive in nature.

She said that the plea has been filed in view of repeated incidents in the past, including the recent collapse of Satya Niketan PG building, which resulted in deaths of seven people, including five students.

At the outset, the Court asked the counsel as to what is the relevant statute on the issue.

“We want your legal assistance as to what is the scheme, whether there should be structural audit of all buildings and the provisions under the planning Act,” the Court told the counsel.

The counsel thus prayed for some time to be prepared and address the Court on the scheme of the statute in relation to planning and structural audit of buildings.

The matter is now listed on October 28.

The Court recently asked the authorities to double their efforts to save the lives of students affected by the collapse.

It has directed the MCD to take up the issue at its highest executive level and get an enquiry conducted as to whether the buildings which collapsed were constructed under valid permission or not.

The High Court had also said that if it is found that the construction was not done under valid permission, MCD shall fix responsibility of the erring official or employees for the lapse.