New Delhi: Will artisans make Ravana effigies after Dussehra, an annoyed Delhi high court has asked the AAP government and municipal corporations which are yet to identify temporary sites to be allotted to them.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) deputy commissioner to appear before it on Monday.
The court said it was “appalling” that the situation remains the same even after one year of pendency of the matter relating to destruction and confiscation of several Ravana effigies by the SDMC for public land encroachment.
The authorities’ submission, that the process of identifying temporary sites and notifying locations is in process, did not go well with the bench which questioned them for not doing this work yet.
The AAP government had earlier told the court that a draft policy has been framed and approved to provide temporary site to artisans who come to Delhi to make and sell idols or effigies for Durga Puja, Dussehra etc.
The court had earlier asked the government and the civic bodies to identify temporary sites and to notify locations besides ensuring facilities like water, toilets, and electricity at the identified sites.
The policy, framed by the government after holding meetings with the corporations and other civic bodies, lays down modalities for utilising land identified for use by artisans.
The new norms state that artisans have to register with the corporations two months before the start of the work and once a site is allotted it would be for two months. After expiry of the period of allotment, they have to vacate the site. Under the policy, there is a fee of Rs 500 per applicant and usage charges of Rs 5 per square feet per month.
If the number of applicants exceeds the land available, registrations would be granted on first-come-first-serve basis, the document said, adding the artisans have to ensure there is no pollution of any kind at the site allotted to them.
