Take steps to vacate bus depot land by Aug 20: HC to DTC

The Delhi High Court today directed DTC to take steps to vacate the land on the banks of Yamuna on which the Millennium bus depot was built at a cost of Rs 60 crore ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Justice Suresh Kait ordered Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to take steps by next date of hearing, on August 20, to vacate the land after DDA said it has handed over three parcels of land at Rohini, Sarai Kale Khan and Narela for shifting of the depot.
A fourth site of over 16 acres at Anand Vihar in east Delhi has been allotted to DTC but possession has not been handed over as the corporation has not paid the lease amount of Rs 67 crore for the land, advocate Rajiv Bansal appearing for Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said.

The 50-acre depot was built on the banks of river Yamuna initially as a temporary depot during the Commonwealth Games, and has parking space for around 1,000 buses, besides various facilities, including five workshop-cum-scanning centres, a logistic centre and two CNG-filling stations.
DTC, represented by advocate Avnish Ahlawat, in a status report said it has already shifted 200 buses from the depot to Khanjhawla and Narela.
With respect to the Rohini site, DTC said work of constructing an approach road as well as boundary wall are in advanced stage of completion and once three depots are built there, it could house 350 buses.

About the site at Sarai Kale Khan, whose possession is with the transport department, DTC said the project cost is awaiting approval and the Karkari More land at Anand Vihar is yet to be freed from encroachment.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed against DTC by Anand Arya and Manoj Misra claiming that the transport corporation has violated high court's September 2012 order to vacate the land.
Advocate Reena George, appearing for the petitioners, contended that DTC in January 2014 had given an undertaking that it would vacate the land by October 31 last year, but till date it has not done so.

She also opposed the extension of time given to DTC by court to vacate the land, saying a contempt court can't do so, adding that instead of extending time, it should put pressure on DTC to vacate the land.
Justice Kait, however, rejected her oral plea and said the petitioners were at liberty to challenge the order.
Earlier, the high court had directed DTC to vacate the Millennium bus depot by October 31, 2014, and had termed the communication gap between the DDA and DTC as "embarrassing".