NEW DELHI: Blaming the Congress leaders in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Government for the present woes of the people, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the civic body on Friday said it was because of the inaction and inefficiency on part of the Congress that implementation of the Master Plan 2021 has been delayed.

The BJP said had the Master Plan been implemented on time, it would have solved many civic problems plaguing the Capital such as commercialisation of residential areas, and mushrooming of farmhouses and banquet halls therein. Moreover, it said, the new Master Plan could have also allowed for increase in floor area ratio (FAR) to accommodate the growing population.

Stating that there has been a five-year-delay in the finalisation of the Master Plan 2021, which should have ideally come into effect in 2001, the Leader of Opposition, Subhash Arya, said had this document been implemented earlier it would have addressed a lot of issues such as "commercial activities in residential areas with a minimum road width of 18 m", a provision for which has been made therein. But now, he lamented, those owning shops on such roads and those employed there are facing an uncertain future in the wake of the recent Supreme Court order. Senior BJP councillor Vijendra Gupta said the Master Plan 2021 would provide much needed relief to the people. But now due to the lethargy and inefficiency of the MCD and the Delhi Government, the fate of lakhs of citizens hangs in balance. He alleged that Thursday's order was a result of the MCD filing a case in the Apex court in 2002 wherein it had asked the court to grant it powers to seal commercial establishments which are running in residential areas illegally. "Clearly, the MCD has won but the people of Delhi have lost," he remarked.

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