Take action against builders too: Ahmedabad high court

When residents of buildings are facing the ire of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation following its sealing drive, a bench of the Gujarat high court has asked the civic body to hold the builders equally liable for encroachment and other civic violations.

A bench comprising justices Jayant Patel and SR Brahmbhatt commented on Tuesday that civic bodies should not only use their powers to carry out demolition and seal properties but should also prosecute the developers/builders of such buildings which violate civic norms.

The bench said that such enforcement could be extended to initiate a criminal prosecution against builders who failed to comply with the provisions of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act.

The high court was hearing a case of one Yogesh Mahadeviya who was allotted a house in Vastrapur. The building was handed over to Mahadeviya without a Building Use (BU) permission. The court gave liberty to implead developer of the property.