Delhi High Court issues directions for quick, amicable disposal of DDA disputes

The Delhi High Court recently issued directions to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to address and solve its long pending disputes promptly and amicably..Justice Dharmesh Sharma ordered every lawyer on DDA’s panel in the Delhi High Court to identify at least 10 cases and narrow down the issues in those case to the following - mutation/demarcation of properties, conversion from leasehold to freehold, allotment of flats and unauthorized constructions/deviation from sanction plan.The Bench also directed the DDA Vice Chairman to constitute a review committee..DDA panel counsel should submit their recommendations in a sealed cover to the committee which shall solicit inputs from officials of various departments, scrutinize them and consider matters for resolution through Lok Adalats or the Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre. Meetings of the review committee shall be held regularly, either weekly or fortnightly, the Court said. “As a punishment in these contempt proceedings, the contemnor is directed to constitute a Review Committee by September 4, 2024. The Committee shall invite inputs from Panel Lawyers by September 7, 2024, and shall hold daily meetings for at least one hour from September 9, 2024. The Committee must then submit a final proposal for amicable dispute resolution, case-wise, to the Secretary, Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, by September 12, 2024. Upon submission, the matters may be taken up, after notice to the parties, in the ensuing Lok Adalat on September 14, 2024. The Review Committee meetings be held on a regular basis every week, after 14th September, 2024,” the Court said..It added that in cases where referral to Lok Adalat is not feasible or if ongoing negotiations result in a spill-over of cases or if notice to concerned parties/litigants is lacking, the review committee may refer matters for an amicable resolution to the judge-in-charge of the Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre. “A balance sheet shall be compiled at the end of each successive month to analyze the referrals and settlements reached between parties.,” the Court ordered. .The Bench passed these directions while dealing with a contempt of court plea against the DDA.While it discharged the authority’s officials of contempt, the Court noted significant delays in the matters and the fact that several unwanted matters were being filed before the Court making DDA one of the largest litigants in the country..Advocates Dilip Singh and R Karthik appeared for Bimla Sachdev who had filed the contempt of court petition.Senior Advocate Arvind Varma along with advocates Shobhana Takiar, Smridihi Sharma and Kuljeet Singh represented the DDA. .[Read Order]