The Hindu : New Delhi News : New Bill to bring forth a `new' Delhi: Maken

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 18, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

New Bill to bring forth a `new' Delhi: Maken

Staff Reporter

`To set in process a thorough overhaul of policies and their implementation, structural changes in DDA, MCD'

NEW DELHI: Stating that a new chapter in futuristic and holistic development of the Capital had been set in motion with the passage of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill, 2006, Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken on Wednesday said the proposed Bill, when it becomes an Act, would trigger "Nav Nirman" (rebuilding) of Delhi with a new regulatory regime in place.

Mr. Maken said the new law would help the Government set in process a thorough overhaul of policies and their implementation, structural changes in agencies like the Delhi Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and smooth reconciliation of the developmental and humanitarian needs of the city. It would also ensure strict adherence to related laws and by-laws that are practical for their smooth implementation and contemporary to the needs of the growing city.

Asserting that it was for the first time that a government had shown concern for lakhs of vendors and hawkers of the Capital, Mr. Maken said the Bill directly addressed the needs of over 80 lakh people in the Capital and sought to provide long-term solutions to the basic humanitarian, infrastructural and developmental problems of the city.

At the same time, the Minister stressed that the Union Government was committed to ensuring that the process of rebuilding the city was firmly put in place during the coming one year after the Bill becomes an Act.

Mr. Maken, who along with Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy put in place this piece of legislation, said the Government was conscious of the needs of the city in terms of urban infrastructure and beautification befitting the country's Capital. Assuring the citizens of a coordinated and harmonious integration of new laws and their implementation in future, Mr. Maken said in the one year ensuing the moratorium on demolitions, efforts would be made to put in place extensive policy formulations, their implementation and necessary structural changes. It would be ensured that the process of making Delhi a truly world-class city took care of the interests of all sections of society irrespective of their financial status. "Delhi will be equipped with modern infrastructure, upgraded civic services and all basic amenities for all citizens," he added.

Mr. Maken said that according to the 2001 Census, of a total of about 33-lakh houses in the Capital only 23-lakh were being used for purely residential purposes. Lakhs of them housed various forms of commercial activity. There were about 6-lakh housing units in different slum clusters and there were about 3.5-lakh vendors and hawkers in the city. This, he said, added up to about 20-lakh families comprising a whopping 80-lakh people of the total population of about 1.40 crores whose existential needs need to be addressed.

He said the Government planned to go in for low-cost housing for about 24-lakh slum dwellers in the city that served as essential service providers to their respective areas on the principle of in-situ rehabilitation.

It also planned an extensive survey to identify hawking zones for about 3.5-lakh hawkers. Once identified, these zones will have earmarked spaces and hawkers who would vend various goods as per requirement.

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