The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response from the Delhi government on a petition alleging that a Mohalla Clinic was being constructed on a public park in Delhi’s Govindpuri area.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice V. Kameswar Rao, while directing the government to file a Status Report, permitted it to raise the alleged construction, keeping in mind that the green area upon the land where the park was situated, was not encroached.
During the course of hearing, Advocate Satyakam, representing the Delhi Government, informed the Court that the said clinic was being constructed on the land in respect of which the “Right of Way” existed. He submitted that from the land in question, a portion thereof was designated to be developed as a green area.
“The respondents are allowed to make any construction with regard to Mohalla Clinic, but not encroaching the park/green area,”
-said the Court.
The matter will next be heard on April 21.
The instant petition has been filed through Advocate Vineet Chadha, on behalf of one Kailash Gupta, resident of Govindpuri, in whose vicinity the public park in question was situated.
The plea pointed out that in 2011, some persons encroached upon the said public park and started raising an illegal parking structure over there.
Subsequently, a petition was filed before the Delhi High Court for restoration of public park and removal of encroachment, wherein the Court directed the Public Works Department of Delhi Government to ensure that the park in question was converted into a green area and that a garden be laid out in the designated area by the Horticulture Department of PWD.
Since then, the plea claimed that the public park in question was being used and enjoyed by the residents of the area, particularly, children and senior citizens.
The grievance of the petitioner was that recently, the residents of the area noted that some excavation work was being carried out on the land and upon enquiry, it was revealed to them that Delhi Government had passed an order for converting the public park into a Mohalla Clinic, thereby depriving the resident of the said vicinity of greenery and clean environment.
The plea prayed for restoration of the park into its original position by removing the recently constructed structure, as also for restraining the Government from carrying any further excavation and construction work in the public park.