They have been asked to show-cause why action under Delhi Land Reforms Act should not be taken against them for using farm land for non-agricultural purposes. The owners have been summoned to appear before the sub-divisional magistrate later this month.
Revenue Secretary Vijay Dev, whose department is responsible for issuing the notices, has suddenly been shifted and made Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer.
Delhi Government sources dismissed speculation that Dev's transfer had anything to do with the show-cause notices. He had been chosen by the Election Commission, they claimed.
Dev himself declined talk about his transfer but he confirmed that the Revenue Department had issued the notices to around 1,500 farmhouse owners.
Present and former ministers, their sons, a former Congress MP and a leading lawyer are among those who have been issued notices.
Section 81 of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 under which the notices have been issued provides for ejection of the allottees for violation of land use norms.
Under this provision, the land on which the farm houses have been built, can be used only for agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture and poultry farming.
As almost all the owners did not reply to the notices issued in July, the revenue department again issued notices in August.
