The Hindu : New Delhi News : `The Bill is very clear and comprehensive'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 14, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

`The Bill is very clear and comprehensive'

Sujay Mehdudia

BJP is trying to create confusion to gain political mileage, says Ajay Maken

NEW DELHI: Stating that `The Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill 2006' was very clear and comprehensive in what it wants to achieve, Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to create confusion in the minds of the people by adopting a contradictory stand in an attempt to gain political mileage.

"The BJP has no right to make a noise over the provisions of the Bill. They are squarely to be blamed for having brought the people of Delhi to such a passé. It is the BJP that owes an explanation to the people of Delhi as they did not act professionally and efficiently to sort out these problems during their six-year rule at the Centre and now are trying to target the Congress party that has not only hurried up the preparation of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 but also brought a legislation to provide relief to lakhs of affected families," Mr. Maken told The Hindu.

`Self-explanatory'

Stating that the Bill was clear and self-explanatory on the issue being raised like sealing of 40,000 properties and orders of the court, Mr. Maken, quoting from the Bill said: "Clause and sub-section (20) of the Bill states: Subject to the provisions contained in sub-section (1) and notwithstanding any judgement, decree or order of any court, status quo as on the first day of January 2006 shall be maintained in respect of the categories of unauthorised development mentioned in sub-section (1)."

The three categories mentioned are (a) mixed land use not conforming to the Master Plan; (b) construction beyond sanctioned plans (c) encroachment by slum and JJ dwellers and hawkers and street vendors.

Lashing out at the BJP, Mr. Maken said the claim by South Delhi BJP MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra that the Bill might not stand scrutiny of the court and an amnesty scheme should have been brought instead was hollow and contradictory.

Elaborating on the same, Mr. Maken said if a Bill passed by Parliament was turned down by the courts then what is the locus standi of an amnesty scheme.

Mr. Maken added that the BJP should not forget that it was their Ministers in the NDA Government -- Jagmohan and Ananth Kumar -- who had rejected the amnesty scheme of the Malhotra Committee.

Stating that work on the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 was going on at a fast pace, Mr. Maken said the previous NDA regime had notified the MPD-2021 preparations in July 2003, five years behind schedule. It was the UPA Government that has speeded up the process and very soon the people of Delhi will have a new Master Plan adhering to the ground realities.

`BJP divided'

"It is a pity that the BJP itself is divided on the issue. Their leaders are speaking in different voices. First they demand a legislation or Ordinance.

When such legislation is introduced in Parliament in record time, they start talking in some other tone. I want to ask the BJP leaders if they are for providing relief to the people of Delhi or pushing them against the wall," Mr. Maken asked.

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