The Delhi High Court today adjourned till January 25 the hearing of the matter related to the construction of Commonwealth Games village on the Yamuna river bed.
Mr S M Aggarwal, convenor of the Yamuna - Removal of Encroachment Monitoring Committee, told a bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Rekha Sharma that the Commonwealth Games Committee had neither procured any sanction from the Yamuna Standing Committee, nor it had bothered to consult anyone else regarding the construction of the Games village on the Yamuna river bed which is violative of the Supreme Court orders as well as of the guidelines laid down by the full bench of Delhi High Court.
The High Court order states that no permanent structure can be built on the river bed. The court also gave a directive to do proper channelising of the river first and then go ahead with any changes on the river side, Mr Aggarwal said.
The Games Committee's contention was that the games village was being made in view of the Commonwealth games being hosted by the Delhi Government, which was in the larger public interest. Appearing for the Games Committee, Solicitor General G E Vahanvati said they had only asked for 104 hectares of land which was granted to them.
The games village can be built on the Yamuna bed because the Akshardham temple was also built there.
Mr Aggarwal contended that the Authorities were building the flats in the vicinity on the river bed which will later be sold in the open market at steep prices. This was done earlier during the Asian games Village when all the flats were sold to the games committee officials relatives. Likewise, the Authorities will sell off the flats to influential people and make money.
