The Hindu : New Delhi News : DDA again fails to deliver

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Thursday, Oct 19, 2006
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New Delhi

DDA again fails to deliver

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Performance of the budget shows that it under-utilised funds

NEW DELHI: At a time when lakhs of traders and their families in the Capital are facing the prospect of sealing as they undertake commercial activity in residential areas and thousands of other structures are faced with prospective demolition since they have violated building by-laws, the Delhi Development Authority has once again failed to deliver. Its budget performanceshows that it under-utilised the funds for construction of shops and houses.

What is really worrying is that the shortfall has been so wide. Of the money allocated for construction of shops and houses, only 51 per cent was used while the rest remained unused. Likewise for the development of land, only 65 per cent of the money was used, the remaining amount remains unspent.

While the Authority should have pulled up its socks and worked hard for making more shops and houses during the year to meet the genuine needs of the people who in the absence of planned commercial and residential spaces are forced to set up shop and take shelter in unauthorised and even illegal colonies -- exposing themselves to the risk of sealing and demolition -- that did not happen. As against the total budget of Rs.289.75 crore allocated for construction of shops and houses in Delhi, the DDA only spent Rs.142 crore. The remainder was not utilised by the Authority despite there being no valid justification for the same, especially at a time when the demand for properties in the Capital far outstrips supply, leading to a dramatic escalation in prices all round.

In development of land, too, the DDA -- which has been fiercely resisting attempts to dilute its role in development of land and housing in the Capital -- was way off the mark. As against the allocation of Rs.736 crore for development of land, only about Rs.541 crores was spent. DDA Member Mahabal Mishra said it was unfortunate that the Authority had failed to fulfil its duties towards the people of the Capital at large. He said a few months ago the Union Ministry of Urban Development had announced that about 1lakh houses would be constructed for the poor, but the DDA has not come out with a scheme so far.

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