Indu Bhan: Cleaning up Delhi

BACKSTAGE

If visitors to the capital during the Commonwealth Games in 2010 find a world class city, apart from Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan, they have to thank Justice Vijender Jain of the Delhi High Court who, along with fellow judge Rekha Sharma, has declared war on those who've built illegal buildings/encroached upon public land as well as those who seek to protect them.

Top in the list are officials in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) who kept their eyes wide shut while this was happening, for years "" ironically, soon after he began his legal career as an advocate after graduating from Delhi's Shri Ram College of Commerce and then pursuing a law degree, between 1971 and 1975, Justice Jain was an elected Councillor to the MCD from the Pahari Dheeraj area. He was also a member of the MCD's standing committee. Other assignments Justice Jain has completed in Delhi include the vice-chairmanship of the Super Bazaar between 1979 and 1980.

Justice Jain, who is expected to be elevated to the Supreme Court soon, has gladdened the hearts of Delhi's citizens who are fed up, but are powerless to do anything about the selective approach of the authorities when it comes to tackling illegal buildings and encroachment. So, when the capital's fashion fraternity was bemoaning the demolition of MG1 and MG2 on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road while other illegal buildings got away with being sealed (thereby giving rise to the hope they'd be unsealed after the hue and cry died down), Justice Jain wanted to know why the demolition had been selective.

When commercial buildings belonging to VIPs didn't get demolished, he directed the authorities to go after the big fish, and he directed the water and electricity utilities to cut off supplies to these buildings "" he even directed that the names of such buildings be put up on a website. And just as it looked as if junior MCD officials would take the brunt of the blame, he said the action should not be confined merely to junior engineers but should extend all the way up to deputy commissioners and other high ranking officials.

Justice Jain, who is a member of the Asia Pacific Jurist Association that concerns itself with the environmental challenges arising out of economic development, has been quite active when it comes to preserving Delhi's heritage as well. He was instrumental in removing unauthorised structures around the Jama Masjid and even suggested the Delhi government, the DDA, the MCD, the Waqf Board and the Imam of the Jama Masjid work out a plan together to beautify the Jama Masjid. He was, similarly, instrumental in getting the authorities to develop the grave of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.