Make public list of illegal sites: Sheila

Notwithstanding opposition from her own party corporators, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today stuck to her demand that the list of 18,000 illegal constructions in the national capital, whose demolition Delhi High Court has ordered, should be made public.

"The list of 18,000 illegal properties should be put up on the website. Under the right to information, people should get to know whether their properties are there in that list or not," Dikshit told reporters.

The Congress councillors are opposed to the list of illegal constructions being made public, saying it will lead to panic and chaos among the public.

The corporators, led by Mayor Satbir Singh, had met the chief minister last week, and they were understood to have minced no words in conveying their views on the issue to her.

Asked about the MCD councillors' stand on the issue, Dikshit said on the contrary, if the list was made public, there would be less chaos and fear among the people and it would also bring about openness and transparency in the demolition drive.

"It will not lead to panic. On the contrary, by bringing in transparency, it will reduce chaos. If they can submit the list in the court, why can't they make it public?" Dikshit said.

She said there were complaints about people being harassed, adding this would not happen if they knew whether their properties figured in the list of the 18,000 illegal constructions.