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Ajay Maken has a tough job on hands

Sujay Mehdudia

Has to put in shape the new Master Plan, at the same time is facing flak over planning in the Capital

NEW DELHI: With the sealing and demolitions issue pushed into the background for the next two months, Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken is not only faced with the task of putting in shape the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021 by January 31, 2007, but also weathering criticism by his rivals on the issue of growth, planning and housing in the Capital.

The Delhi Government has already upped the ante against the functioning of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that is led by Mr. Maken in the allocation of work in the Ministry. Ever since DDA has come under Mr. Maken, the Delhi Government and some of the loyalists of the Chief Minister have been taking pot shots at the functioning of the corrupt and inefficient DDA.

Surprisingly, during the eight years that the DDA was led by the former Lieutenant-Governor Vijai Kapoor and the NDA Government at the Centre, the Delhi Government had refrained from such an "onslaught" on DDA.

"Mr. Maken has not been affected by such criticism and is of the view that the entire focus should be on providing the people of Delhi, which also includes the poor and marginalised sections, a new vision and planning that would ensure harmonious integration of the city with its population, heritage, environment, growth and the burden of additional population in the coming years," a senior official remarked.

Already meetings are being held for finalising the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 and a number of sub-committees and sub-groups are scheduled to present their reports during the next one month on issues ranging from unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters, vendor and hawker policy, saving of the water bodies, protection of environment to give a new face to the redevelopment of Delhi.

"Mr. Maken has been holding a number of meetings on the MPD issue and was the first to support the move to debate the MPD-2021 in the Delhi Assembly. He wants that those associated with the working on the ground should be given the opportunity to put across their view point and the best forum could be none other than the Delhi Assembly," another official associated with the MPD-2021 remarked.

However, officials and experts expressed surprise over the late demand for debate on the MPD-2021 as most of those political leaders and elected representatives who are demanding such a debate are involved in land grab and illegal sale of public land over the past three decades that has led to the present mess. Officials said the whole exercise is in full swing and no ifs and buts are being left unanswered as the new MPD could face the scrutiny of the courts.

"We have to be very careful in giving a visionary shape to the new MPD as any kind of callousness could create further complications on the legal front," an official stated.

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