The Hindu : New Delhi News : Amend Delhi Master Plan, demands BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Amend Delhi Master Plan, demands BJP

Staff Reporter

"All the markets in the city should be regularised"

NEW DELHI: In view of the present spate of demolitions in the Capital, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Harsh Vardhan on Monday demanded that the Master Plan for Delhi be amended and the landowners of all the buildings may be allowed to run commercial activities in the basement and ground floors constructed on roads having a width of 40 feet or more. Also, he said, all the markets in the city should be "regularised".

To make Delhi a truly ``world class city'', Dr. Vardhan said it was essential to implement these policies so that Delhiites are not victimised by the spate of demolitions. ``No one should be spared for making any type of encroachment on government land or property and such violators may even be sent to jail and penalised heavily, but all buildings on private land and having an area of 100 square metres or less should be freed from the floor area ratio rules and should be given concession to run minor employment ventures under mixed land use.''

The BJP leader said all the house owners of Delhi should be given open exemption to construct an additional storey as this would immediately make 25 lakh additional residential units available. "However, this exemption should be given with the condition that none of the residential building would be over 15 metres high."

Dr. Vardhan also demanded regularisation of all the shops constructed in DDA colonies, running of non-polluting industries in residential areas and called for providing all the basic facilities in the industrial areas.

Stating that the Urban Development Ministry should set up a high-power Commission for improving the conditions in Delhi villages, all of which should be developed as ideal villages, Dr. Vardhan said "this can be achieved through provisions for exemption from bylaws in construction of houses, exemption from taxes and licence fees, regularising all farm houses on one acre or more of land, and allocation of proper sites (squatting zones) to `rehri-patri' shopkeepers, weekly bazars and haats".

Seeking regularisation of all the unauthorised colonies, the BJP leader also suggested that the Centre make available alternative multi-storeyed apartment blocks for rehabilitating those living in 1,200 slum clusters across Delhi.

Stating that nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, schools and colleges be allowed in residential areas on the basis of public-private partnership, he said, the schools should be run in several shifts and permission should be given to run night classes for the working people to make best use of the available resources. Simultaneously, he said, arrangements should be made for creche and old care homes for every 50,000 population.He was of the view that problems of Delhi would keep on increasing till decentralisation of the population was achieved through development of the entire NCR.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail