After HC rap, Delhi govt to scrap panel for Chandni Chowk maintenance

The Hindu

23-05-2025

The Delhi government on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it would scrap a committee formed for the redevelopment of Chandni Chowk, admitting that officials had misinterpreted an earlier court order.
The court rapped the authorities for unilaterally forming a high-level committee to oversee Chandni Chowk's maintenance, stating that it had only sought their suggestions during earlier hearing.
'We wanted you (Delhi government) to give your suggestions and instead you formed the committee and now you are taking the plea that you misread the order. We only intended to form the committee just to ensure that the work functions under our supervision,' the court said.
The government counsel said the panel would be immediately scrapped. The court accepted the counsel's submission on recalling of the March 26 government order.
The court then ordered the parties to file their suggestions within four weeks on the setting up of the high-level committee in pursuance to its February order.
In its February 18 order, the court proposed a committee comprising officers at the highest level of all the agencies and other experts to ensure the area was maintained appropriately.
The court had also proposed the terms of reference to such a committee should be preparing a road map for maintaining and preserving the area and other ancillary issues.
The court, however, learnt that on March 26 the Delhi government's Public Works Department had formed a high level committee.
Expressing its astonishment, the court's May 21 order noted the respondents were only required to give its suggestions in respect of the formation of the committee and not for forming the committee itself.
'You have created an authority (Shahjanabad Redevelopment Corporation) and you sanction a hefty amount but the court had to intervene time and again because whatever zeal or effort you were making that is not yielding the desired results. Every time the matter comes up before the court, you show your zeal on paper by filing affidavits,' the court said.
The government's counsel said the area was beautified as photographs would indicate but pointed out an 'extremely high footfall'.
There were miscreants who were destroying public property and authorities were doing the work on a daily basis, the counsel added.
The court was dealing with a plea of Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal which claimed a 'highly neglected, disturbing and pathetic state of affairs' in the area under the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project from Lal Quila Road up to Fateh Puri Masjid and its surrounding areas including metro stations.