Supreme Court Rebukes DDA Over Lt Governor's Ridge Visit and Tree Felling

The Supreme Court criticized the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for failing to provide information regarding Lt Governor VK Saxena's visit to the Ridge area, where 1,100 trees were cut. The court accused the DDA of protecting higher-ups while blaming lower officers and expressed doubts about the DDA's seriousness in addressing the issue.

The Supreme Court has sharply criticized the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for its failure to provide details about Lt Governor VK Saxena's visit to the Ridge area, wherein 1,100 trees were felled. The apex court suggested the DDA is shielding senior officials while scapegoating lower-level officers.

Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan called the DDA's actions ''absolute recklessness'' and lamented the lack of any internal meeting or documentation related to Saxena's visit on February 3.

During a contempt plea hearing, the court was told that Saxena had not visited the site where the trees were cut, despite earlier claims. The Supreme Court has demanded a detailed affidavit from the DDA's Ashok Kumar Gupta and asked for clarity on this contentious issue.