SC pulls up various departments for failure to maintain heritage monuments in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on various departments, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, for their failure to properly maintain several heritage monuments in the national capital.

Flagging the “lack of cohesion” between different government bodies, the apex court directed the senior officials of various departments, including the secretary of the Union Ministry of Culture and the commissioner of the MCD, to appear before it on October 15.

“We are calling them for forming a team for coordination,” a bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh said.

The top court was hearing a matter concerning preservation and upkeep of some heritage monuments in Delhi.

Besides the secretary of the Ministry of Culture and the MCD commissioner, the bench also asked the director general (DG) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), secretary of the Department of Archaeology of the Delhi government and others to appear before it.

It impleaded the ministry as a party respondent in the matter.

The bench noted that senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is a court commissioner in the matter, has filed a report in the matter.

“We find that there is an absolute lack of cohesion between various government bodies/ departments,” the bench said, adding that officers of the concerned departments have not understood the seriousness of the matter.

The bench observed that the time has come when some drastic action was required to be taken by passing strict orders.

It said that by way of a last indulgence, the apex court was refraining from passing any stringent order for the present.

During the hearing, Sankaranarayanan told the bench about the condition of Lal Mahal, a 13th century palace in Nizamuddin here, and said it was perhaps one of the oldest palaces in the national capital.

Observing that the area falls under the MCD, the bench asked the counsel appearing for the corporation about it.

“We could not find that this land was under us,” the counsel appearing for the MCD said.

“You are totally casual and that is why this has happened. You are not even bothered about your areas,” the bench said, adding, “How can we accept it?”

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The MCD’s counsel said the corporation would file an affidavit on the issue.

The bench also dealt with the issue of encroachment at Lodhi-era tombs in south Delhi’s Zamrudpur area.

The top court pulled up the ASI for not taking appropriate steps for the protection and preservation of heritage monuments.

“There is absolutely no seriousness on your (ASI) part,” the bench observed.

A senior official of the ASI told the bench that they were maintaining over 4,000 monuments in the country.

“Where is your requisition made to the government that you need more hands?” the bench asked.

While hearing the matter in August, the top court had taken serious note of the condition of heritage monuments in the capital and pulled up the MCD and the ASI for “total callousness” and suppressing facts on the matter.

The observations had come after the bench was apprised of media reports highlighting the poor condition and extensive encroachment at Lodhi-era tombs in Zamrudpur area.