The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on authorities over rampant illegal constructions in Delhi-NCR and other parts of the country, observing that officials had merely undertaken "face-saving exercises" while failing to act against those responsible for widespread building violations.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Sheel Nagu said action had largely been confined to builders, while government officials responsible for monitoring construction activities had escaped accountability despite repeated incidents of building collapses and fires.
"Only face-saving exercises are being done, where only builders are being apprehended and not the officials who are in charge of areas where rampant violations have happened," the bench observed, reiterating concerns it had expressed in its May 20 order.
The court referred to recent tragedies, including the Saket building collapse, the Malviya Nagar fire in Delhi and the Lucknow coaching centre fire, saying these incidents highlighted the consequences of unchecked illegal constructions.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the response of civic authorities, particularly the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the bench noted that although notices had been issued to violators, authorities had failed to take meaningful follow-up action.
Justice Amanullah remarked that despite directions issued by the Delhi High Court restraining construction activities, illegal work had continued "in collusion with MCD."
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Warning of stringent action, the bench said it would not hesitate to fix personal responsibility on officials found guilty of negligence.
"We will pass orders, and it will pinch a lot of people. We'll attach personal responsibility on the officers and will speak through black and white," the court observed.
To independently assess the extent of violations, the Supreme Court directed the constitution of an inspection team comprising two senior professors from IIT Delhi and two draftsmen. The team, accompanied by MCD officials, will inspect Malviya Nagar, Saket and Lajpat Nagar in Delhi, while a similar inspection in Lucknow will cover Aliganj.
The inspection exercise will be coordinated by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, and the team has been asked to submit a detailed report to the court.
The apex court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to furnish details of all actions taken against illegal constructions in the state.
The court's strong observations came in the wake of several recent incidents linked to alleged building violations. In May, a multi-storey building in Delhi's Saidulajab area of Saket collapsed, killing six people. In June, at least 15 people lost their lives in a massive fire at a commercial building in Lucknow's Aliganj area, renewing concerns over illegal construction and lax enforcement of safety norms.
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