The Delhi High Court today gave the municipal corporation of north Delhi a number of suggestions, including computerisation of records and holding of a one-week drive, for facilitating registration of cycle rickshaws operating in the Chandni Chowk area.
A bench of justices B D Ahmed and Jayant Nath gave the suggestions after an NGO, representing the rickshaw owners and pullers, alleged that the civic authorities were harassing those plying cycle rickshaws and were discouraging them from getting registered.
However, the court refused to pass any order on the issue and asked the lawyer for the corporation to come with instructions regarding the suggestions and listed the matter for hearing on November 30.
The bench, meanwhile, asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to file an affidavit explaining why it had transferred two police officers, appointed by court orders as nodal officials in connection with redevelopment of Chandni Chowk, without prior permission of the high court.
It also asked the Delhi government's senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra to request a former Chief Secretary of Delhi to take up the assignment of heading the meeting of all the nodal officers from various agencies.
The court was hearing PILs filed by NGO Manushi Sangathan and others in 2007 on the issue of redevelopment of the walled city and creation of lanes for non-motorised vehicles.
During the hearing, the NGO alleged that an "extortion racket" was being run in the area by the officials of the corporation and sought that spot registration be done instead of asking the rickshaw owners or pullers to go to the office of the civic body.
Advocate Sanjeev Ralli, appearing for the Chandni Chowk Vyapar Mandal, said that laws were already in place for registration of cycle rickshaws and even the high court had in the past ordered the same, so this exercise has to be carried out.
The NGO said that Rs 400 as registration fee, valid for a
period of four years, was expensive for rickshaw owners.
On the last date of hearing, the court had asked the NGO whether owners of cycle rickshaws plying in the area were open to registration and licencing of their rickshaws.
The court has suggested that once the rickshaws are registered and the people cycling them are licensed, they can be allowed to ply in Chandni Chowk as a mode of public transport when motorised vehicles are banned from the area.
The bench said it was contemplating prohibiting plying of motorised vehicles in the area, but first a suitable alternative mode of transport has to be put in place along with parking facilities nearby, so that people can park their cars near Chandni Chowk and then proceed there on rickshaws.
It was of the view that the walled city was an area where plying of cycle rickshaws should be "actively promoted" as they are non-polluting, reduce congestion and are a source of livelihood.
