The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to give the Delhi’s residents 15 days to file their objections to the proposed amendments to the city’s master plan, ANI reported. This new action plan must be published in leading newspapers in Hindi and English for three consecutive days, the court added.

The Union government told the court it would bring in tough laws to prevent illegal constructions in the national capital and promised to take action against those involved in such projects. Attorney General KK Venugopal also promised Justices Madan B Lokur and Navin Sinha that the government would prosecute all former officials complicit in allowing illegal constructions, India Legal reported.

Venugopal urged the court to modify its March 6 order – in which it had stayed further amendments to the master plan – and said that statutory authorities could not be prohibited from framing a law, PTI reported. The court told the government to take a final call after considering all aspects. The court scheduled the next hearing for Thursday.

Last month, the Centre told the top court that a special task force would be set up to oversee the enforcement of laws regulating unauthorised construction and encroachments in Delhi and look into the safety of buildings that have been built legally.

A sealing drive has been going on in Delhi since December. Since then, traders have staged agitations and major wholesale and retail markets in Delhi have shut down in protest for a few days at a time. Civic bodies have sealed shops and restaurants for encroachment and illegal constructions, among other violations, and for alleged failure to pay conversion charges. Action has been taken against establishments in Defence Colony Market, Khan Market, Mehar Chand Market and markets in Sundar Nagar, Hauz Khas, Rajendra Nagar, Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj.