NEW DELHI: The Congress Coordination Committee for Delhi on Friday lauded the notification issued by the Union Urban Development Ministry allowing commercial activity in the ground floor under the new mixed land use policy. The Committee was of the view that this action of the United Progressive Alliance Government was bound to provide relief to lakhs of people who were faced with closure of their premises.

At the meeting of the Committee held at AICC headquarters and chaired by the AICC general secretary in-charge Delhi, Ashok Gehlot, the issue of implementing the notification at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi level also came up for discussion. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Ajay Maken, DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma were among those who attended the meeting.

At the outset, Mr. Maken is understood to have briefed the members of the Coordination Committee about the notification and its implications for the common man. He is understood to have pointed out that no blank cheque had been given to the "big fish'' as huge showrooms were not being regularised under the new policy. He said the effort was to address the issue that was affecting lakhs of families belonging to the middle class and those who have opened small shops in their house to earn their livelihood. At this, Ms. Dikshit said that the notification was very good and would help is resolving various issues.

The Committee was also of the view that steps should be taken to take up the matter of identifying other roads that would be covered under this new regime with the MCD Commissioner so that confusion on the issue was cleared.

It was also pointed out that the notification was very simple and comprehensive. For the first time not only the responsibility of identifying roads and providing relief has been left at the discretion of the local civic bodies but it has also been made clear that local resident welfare' associations should be consulted in the finalisation of any plan of the area.

It was stated that the citizens had been made part of the planning process under the notification and some BJP sponsored RWAs and vested interests were creating confusion in the minds of the people and raising unnecessary issues when the fact was that their areas did not even fall under the new notification regime.

It is learnt that Mr. Gehlot asked the DPCC president and the Chief Minister to look into the implementation of the new notification as the Centre had done its duty and now it was for the State Government and the MCD to spread the word about the notification among the people and also the field staff so that they do not seal premises that have been provided relief.

Later, Mr. Gehlot also had a meeting with the Members of Parliament from Delhi and sought their views on various issues including the current unrest among the trading community. The MPs were asked to educate the people about the good work done by the UPA Government so that proper feedback was received from the ground level.

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