Delhi BJP urges MCD to demolish 'dangerous' 5th, 6th floors in buildings

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Delhi BJP on Sunday urged Municipal Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to set up a ‘Dangerous Buildings Department’ and declare all buildings with fifth and sixth floors as dangerous, demolish these floors and take steps to stop sale and registration of such properties.

Party spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated that statements by Aam Aadmi Party leaders regarding Saturday’s building collapse in Mustafabad, in which 11 people were killed, were misleading and blamed the party for promoting illegal constructions.

According to the building department regulations of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, only three-floor constructions, including the ground are permitted in Delhi.

“However, in Muslim-majority areas across the city, the construction of fourth floors is common, and in nearly three-quarters of the buildings, fifth and sixth floors have also been added,” he said.

Between 2015 and 2025, illegal constructions flourished in these Muslim-majority areas under the protection of AAP MLAs and councillors. These are areas where not even the police and the Municipal Corporation have been able to stop illegal construction, he said.

The past 10 years bear testimony to the fact that whenever the MCD attempted to take action against illegal fifth and sixth-floor constructions, AAP MLAs such as Haji Yunus, Abdul Rehman, Amanatullah Khan, Imran Hussain, Somdutt, and Shoaib Iqbal led aggressive crowds against such actions, Kapoor said.

The BJP spokesperson said there are currently thousands of dilapidated buildings in Delhi that cause fatal accidents each year.

If the MCD creates a Dangerous Buildings Department, the task of averting tragedies will become easy and pave the way for the demolition of such structures.

Earlier in the day, the AAP sought compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the 11 people killed in Mustafabad.

Delhi Mayor Mahesh Khichi and AAP spokesman Adil Ahmad Khan, addressing media persons, also sought strict action against officials guilty of laxity in checking illegal construction in the building which caved in on Saturday.

Khichi said, "I am writing a letter to the MCD Commissioner urging him to suspend the officials found guilty of allowing illegal construction."

--IANS

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