New Delhi : Following the PG building collapse incident in Satya Niketan, the Delhi government has decided to intensify action against illegal construction.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed the MCD to use bulldozers to demolish illegal structures. Instructions have also been issued to carry out enforcement drives in various parts of Delhi on Wednesday and for all senior municipal officials to be present on the ground.

The Chief Minister has ordered intensive inspections of all PGs and hostels, alongside action against illegal construction. Furthermore, officials have been asked to scrutinize building records to determine when the illegal construction took place and under which official’s tenure it occurred.

In accordance with the Chief Minister’s directives, all PGs and hostels in Delhi will be inspected. Action will be taken if illegal construction is found. Senior MCD officials have been instructed to personally oversee the operations on-site.

The government is also focusing on establishing when the illegal construction occurred and which official or authority held jurisdiction over the area at that time.

The Chief Minister has directed officials to examine building records. This process aims to identify the year the illegal construction took place and determine who held jurisdiction over the area during that period. The objective of this exercise is to ascertain the timeline of the illegal construction and fix accountability.

This action follows the collapse of a PG building in Satya Niketan, South-West Delhi. A five-story PG building collapsed on September 6, resulting in seven deaths and injuries to several others.

Preliminary investigations following the incident are examining aspects such as unauthorized additional construction, unapproved repairs in the basement and ground floor, and lapses in safety checks.

After the Satya Niketan incident, the MCD had ordered the sealing of illegal structures exceeding four stories in height. The condition of surrounding buildings was also inspected. An FIR was registered against the building owner following the incident, and the Chief Minister had ordered a magisterial inquiry.

In the wake of the incident, the Delhi government has also drafted legislation to regulate private hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations. The proposed framework includes requirements such as licensing, police clearance, structural and fire safety certificates, and registration on a public portal.

Amidst these developments, preparations are now underway—in accordance with the Chief Minister’s latest directives—to conduct a comprehensive inspection of illegal constructions and the status of PG accommodations and hostels across Delhi.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)