L-G orders suspension of officials involved in fresh encroachment of DDA land

NEW DELHI: To check land encroachment in the capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V K Saxena has ordered that in case of fresh or re-encroachment of DDA land, FIRs be registered against the officials involved in addition to their suspension.

The move came after the L-G ordered the suspension of field staff in connection with the re-encroachment of a land stretch near Pusta Road, from Mayur Vihar Phase-I to NH-24, an official statement issued by the Raj Niwas said.

The L-G also directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to submit a detailed report on the inquiry against these officials within seven days for review, the statement said.

“The suspended staff include assistant engineers and junior engineers responsible for the Mayur Nature Park project site. An FIR will also be lodged under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and other sections against the DDA staff,” it said. A departmental inquiry has been launched to ensure accountability after a section of land in the Mayur Nature Park project, vital to Yamuna floodplain restoration, was re-encroached.

The DDA warned that such lapses invite court censure and financial loss. Encroachment remains a persistent challenge, with large areas affected, as admitted last year.