The Hindu : New Delhi News : Provide better services, Azad tells DDA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Provide better services, Azad tells DDA

By Our Staff Reporter

The Union Minister for Urban Development, Ghulam Nabi Azad, visiting the DDA office in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI, JUNE 17. The Union Urban Development Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today visited the corporate office of Delhi Development Authority and stressed the need for increasing accountability in the `corruption-ridden' department and ensuring "single-window clearance'' wherever possible for avoiding inconvenience to the public.

Mr Azad, who was accompanied by Secretary (Urban Development), N.N. Khanna, interacted with senior officials and witnessed a detailed presentation on DDA's activities and initiatives made by the Vice-Chairman, Madhukar Gupta. During his discussion with senior officials, the Minister also emphasised the need for finalising the Master Plan 2021 at the earliest and directed that a road map may be prepared immediately.

Pointed out that there was a need to involve the private sector in the development of housing to bridge the wide gap between the demand and supply, Mr Azad said socio-economic matters should also be taken into account while undertaking construction activity. He held out that "one-room accommodation'' had lost its relevance now as the families needed a minimum of two rooms.

The Minister also called for strict vigilance and preventive action as means of curbing encroachments and unauthorised constructions and stressed on the need for utilisation of the cleared areas to avoid re-encroachment. This statement of his made several officials squirm as DDA had recently been caught napping when a large number of jhuggi dwellers ousted by it from the Yamuna Pushta had returned to resettle there as the authority had failed to fence off the area.

Mr Azad was very pragmatic in his approach and declared that acquisition of land should be made on need-basis.

He also lauded the development of greens and said there was also a need for proper upkeep. In this context, he also desired that planned development of the Yamuna River Bed should be taken up on priority.

He also called upon DDA to tap the tourism potential of Delhi through conservation and improvement of heritage sites.

The Minister, who was apprised of various developmental projects undertaken by DDA and the initiatives taken in the area of website development and setting up of information kiosks, also called upon the agency to develop a comprehensive approach for the use of information technology in its activities by going beyond the different stand alone systems.

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