NEW DELHI: Taking a serious view of collapse of several unsafe and unauthorised buildings in the national capital region and Mumbai, which claimed several lives recently, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to consider framing policy to strictly deal with illegal constructions across India.

Referring to the recent fire in a high-rise apartment in Mumbai in which four persons died and 16 were injured, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said people were allowed to live despite the builder not getting occupation certificate from the designated authority. It also cited collapse of several unauthorised buildings in Ghaziabad and Noida.

“It is a very sad state of affairs. There are thousands of such illegal buildings across the country which are not safe and people’s lives are in danger. We are monitoring illegal constructions in Delhi but what about the rest of the country. How long it will go on and how many people will lose their lives. Is there any policy framed by the Centre against unauthorised construction,” the bench said.

Additional solicitor general ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, told the bench housing is a state subject and it is for the state governments to frame policy and take action against illegal constructions.

“There has to be something to curb such constructions and it cannot be allowed to go on and on. People are making mockery of the rule of law and putting life of people in danger,” the bench said.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, told the bench DDA is implementing the amended Master Plan without getting approval from the court and pleaded that the civic bodies be restrained from enforcing the plan. The court was about to stay the implementation of the plan but refrained from passing any order after the ASG assured the bench that he would advise the Centre not to enforce the amended plan till August 28 when the bench will take up the case.

