After the rebuke of the Supreme Court, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has come into action. JDA has started enforcement action by issuing notices to illegal commercial establishments running on residential lands of the city. This happened after the Supreme Court’s order of March 25.
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [भारत]July 20 (ANI): Weeks after the Supreme Court rapped civic authorities across the country over rampant misuse of residential properties for commercial purposes, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has started enforcement action by issuing notices to alleged illegal commercial establishments running on residential land in the city.
The latest action comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s March 25 order, which had directed municipal bodies and development authorities in all state capitals to identify residential areas that are being illegally used for commercial activities and submit detailed compliance reports. The court had said that unauthorized commercialization of residential colonies has become a nationwide problem, with serious civic and environmental consequences.
JDA started action
Among the first direct steps taken by the JDA is a notice issued on July 13 under sections 32(1) and 32(6) of the Jaipur Development Authority Act, 1982, directing an occupier to remove an alleged unauthorized commercial establishment running on residential land in Bhankrota. The notice alleged that commercial activities, including a beauty lounge, were being carried out without statutory approval on land earmarked for residential use and warned that further legal action would be taken if the violations were not removed within the stipulated period.
Action taken on a developer’s petition
The notice appears to be related to a long-standing dispute over land at Chimanpura village, Bhankrota, where Rajdarbar Pinkcity Developments Pvt Ltd has alleged that several unauthorized commercial establishments, including resorts, furniture shops, boutiques, salons, eateries and clothing stores, have come up on land reserved for a residential township. The developer has claimed that there was failure to initiate enforcement action despite repeated representations to the authorities as well as directions from the Jaipur Development Authority Appellate Tribunal and the Rajasthan High Court.
The matter later reached the Supreme Court through a party formation and directions application, where the developer sought action against illegal commercial use of the land, relying on the pan-India directions issued by the top court in March. The applications argued that despite orders of the Tribunal and the High Court, the authorities had not taken action against the alleged encroachment and commercial abuses.
The court had expressed displeasure over the compliance report
On May 20, the Supreme Court had expressed dissatisfaction over the response received from several states, noting that the affidavits only listed the violations without specifying what action was actually taken on the ground. The bench directed the authorities to file fresh affidavits detailing follow-up measures, including sealing, demolition or other action required under the law, and cautioned the authorities against “formal compliance”.
The latest notice from the JDA is being seen as one of the first enforcement actions taken in Jaipur after the apex court’s investigation. It remains to be seen whether the authority goes ahead with sealing or demolition in cases where violations are found, as envisaged by the Supreme Court under its continuous monitoring of illegal commercialization in residential areas. (ANI)
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