10 sites identified for beautification: DMRC to Delhi HC
During the hearing, the bench was informed that the guidelines against defacement were yet to be finalised.
New Delhi: Delhi Metro on Thursday told the Delhi high court that it along with Delhi University students, who defaced its properties, during the varsity polls, had identified 10 sites for beautification as a pilot project.
Taking note of the submission made by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which said the beautification work would be undertaken on June 9 and 10, a two-judge bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar said let the needful be done and a report submitted before the next hearing on July 16.
The court was hearing a plea by advocate P. Manchanda, who sought a complete ban on defacement of public properties during the Delhi University Students’ Union (Dusu) elections.
During the hearing, the bench was informed that the guidelines against defacement were yet to be finalised. The bench, thereafter, directed Mr Manchanda that DMRC, the university and the students union will coordinate with the joint registrar of the high court and finalise the guidelines expeditiously.
It said the issue of guidelines would be taken up on May 29. Directions were also issued to the Centre, the Delhi government and the DU to take steps to publicise the penal consequences of defacement of public property.
It also directed the students to work with the DMRC to restore its defaced properties in the city after taking into consideration the Metro’s submission that about 76 of its properties were found to be permanently defaced and restoring them would cost more than '16 lakh and warned the students that they might have to go to jail if they were found defacing public property ahead of the next polls.