Madhya Pradesh: High Court's Reply To Government On Illegal Commercial Constructions In Bhopal's Arera Colony

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has asked state government to submit reply within four weeks on illegal commercial constructions that have come up in E-1 to E-5 Arera Colony.

The court issued the directives on the PIL filed by Purnendu Shukla (member of SC monitoring committee for gas victims) and environmentalist Dr Subhash Pandey against the widespread illegal commercial construction and land use change in Arera Colony (E-1 to E-5).

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf has issued notice to chief secretary, additional chief secretary, urban administration, principal secretary, revenue, T & CP commissioner, Bhopal collector and municipal officials.

The petitioners have based their reasons on violations of Madhya Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, and Bhopal Development Plan 2005, traffic pressure, pollution, choked drains and poor living standards.

“This petition is against such illegal constructions in which all the residential buildings are being converted into malls or shopping complexes,” petitioners said.

The PIL has mentioned about deteriorating traffic system of Bhopal's number 10 number market and surrounding areas, jams, incidents of traffic police locking vehicles and chaotic situations like towing away two-wheelers and then issuing challans to them.

The basic reason for this is that a completely residential area has gradually become a centre of illegal commercial activities. Since this area was originally earmarked for residential purposes, the entire system collapsed due to increasing commercial activities there.

The system was neither made in advance nor improved later. As a result, when people reach unplanned market, they face traffic jams.