Top cop, MCG chief to inspect IAF zone

GURGAON: MCG chief Vikas Gupta and police commissioner Navdeep Sing Virk will conduct a joint inspection of the 900-metre restricted zone around the IAF ammunition depot to check for illegal constructions before the next hearing in the high court on February 9.
This was decided in a meeting called by the joint commissioner of the MCG and the executive engineers in charge of the six zones of the IAF depot on Thursday.The meeting was held to discuss the steps required to be taken to stop construction activity in the area.
An MCG official said that the executive engineers were asked to prepare a list of all the demolitions and new constructions in each of the six divisions in the zone. They have also been asked to report on the action taken against the illegal property owners. "In today's meeting the executive engineers were asked to ensure that no construction material is taken inside this zone at any cost," the official said.
The official said that 32 checkpoints had been installed in the 900-metre area to stop further construction, but it failed to stop the illegal activity. "It has been found that these checkpoints are not manned properly and, therefore, illegal construction activity is still taking place," said the official.
The IAF zone issue became highly politicized ever since the MCG carried out a demolition drive last month in which it demolished around eight houses, which it said were illegally constructed. The local MCG councillor and other politicians have been assuring the area's residents that they will not allow any more demolitions from taking place anywhere in the 900-metre area.
They have also rejected an earlier proposal to reduce the restricted area from the present 900m radius and to a 300m one. The politicians and the residents have been demanding compensation to be paid to those owners whose homes were demolished by the MCG in December. However, the district administration has said it would not pay any compensation as it had only followed the high court order.