NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority on Saturday completed a marathon four-day public hearing for amendments to the Master Plan for Delhi-2001 pertaining to mixed land use and building by-laws.

DDA member and Councillor Virender Kasana said about 1,800 people presented their views over the four days and most of them were in favour of allowing mixed land use and commercial activities in residential areas.

During the hearing, banquet hall owners also demanded that they be permitted to operate from residential areas like in the case of nursing homes and banks as people would not like to go to industrial areas for social functions.

Likewise, hardware and timber store-owners requested that they not be disturbed.

Health and fitness centres said removing them from the residential areas would do more harm than good since they were ensuring that people stayed in good health.

Meeting

Held at Vikas Sadan, the meetings were chaired by DDA Vice-Chairman and attended by Planning Commissioner and Member (Engineering).

The recommendations of the meetings will now be sent to the DDA Board that is meeting this coming Tuesday. Upon being passed from there, they will be sent to the Union Ministry of Urban Development for final notification.

The need for public hearings arose because the Urban Development Ministry has so far failed to notify the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 despite public hearings for the same having been completed by March 2006 and the recommendations having been passed by DDA.

Residential properties

Since, the issue of sealing and demolitions of residential properties cropped up in the meantime, the industry was forced to bring in the amendments for providing relief to the affected citizens.

As such, the path has now been cleared for notification of the relevant amendments.

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