NEW DELHI: The Tejinder Khanna Committee set up by the Union Urban Development Ministry is now working overtime to submit its report by May end to enable the Union Government to come out with a comprehensive solution to the multi-faceted problems faced by the people of Delhi. The Committee has already held a round of consultations with senior officials, non-government organisations, public interest groups and residents' welfare associations on the various issues.

The Committee is headed by former Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna and has experts like former Town Country Planner Mohammad Shafi, senior Congress legislator S.C. Vats and Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan as its members.

Also, in order to get a feedback about the ground realities and the prevailing situation, the Committee has extended an invitation to leaders of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and elected members of Delhi Development Authority as well as New Delhi Municipal Council for a discussion on April 20. The Committee proposes to have a prolonged interaction with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi on April 24. On April 26 the Committee will interact with Members of Parliament of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from Delhi. The effort is to ensure that a proper feedback is received about the issues facing the people of Delhi and what best possible could be done for their resolution. It is understood that the Committee has made up its mind to go ahead with the task entrusted to it in a professional manner and if all goes well it could well submit its report in the last week of May. According to officials associated with the Committee, it will meet to finalise the draft report on May 4 and the formal report is expected to be signed by May 19 so that it could be presented to Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy by the last week of May.

Officials said the scope of the Committee includes study of all unauthorised colonies, unauthorised/regularised colonies, urban villages, rural villages, self-designated areas, re-settlement colonies and jhuggi jhonpri clusters. The basic issue would be to find out the underlying causes of unauthorised construction and what should be done to tackle this menace in future. The Committee will also examine or re-examine the various policies so far formulated on the subject.

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