New Delhi   

`Congress would benefit from Plan notification'

Sandeep Joshi

MCD may allow commercial activities on 1,000 more roads

NEW DELHI: With elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi likely to be announced in the next few days, the Congress seems to have wrested the advantage from the Bharatiya Janata Party by notifying the Master Plan for Delhi-2021.

And to strengthen its position further and salvage lost confidence from among its workers because of the sealing and demolition drives, the Congress-ruled civic body is now all set to give the go-ahead for carrying out commercial activities on another 1,000-odd roads across the city.

Stating that the Congress would definitely benefit from the notification of the new Master Plan and stopping of the sealing and demolition operations, Leader of MCD House Jitender Kochar said the Congress leaders worked hard and made the new Master Plan a reality, giving major relief to lakhs of traders and residents across the Capital. "Delhiites as well as our workers are elated. We have now turned the tables on the BJP," he claimed.

Stating that the MCD would soon add new roads to the list of 2,183 newly notified roads, allowing commercial activities on other roads also, Mr. Kochar said the new Master Plan has given them three months to complete the process.

"We have got recommendations to add around 1,000 roads to the list, but our survey showed only 600-odd new roads were eligible for commercialisation status. However, the new Master Plan has made certain alterations in the earlier notifications issued by the Centre in this regard," he said.

For instance, now there is no width limit in declaring village roads for commercialisation, while the road width in L&DO colonies has also been reduced. However, the BJP feels that the Congress would not be able to "befool" voters with its election gimmick, and rather issues like rising prices and lack of basic amenities are enough to win the voters' trust.

Leader of Opposition in MCD Subhash Arya said: "The new Master Plan is nothing but an election document prepared hurriedly without taking suggestions from town planners and other experts. The two Master Plans implemented by the Congress earlier have ruined the city and this one is no better."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A seasoned performer on the small screen
`Congress would benefit from Plan notification'
BJP plans to field local leaders
RWAs to oppose power tariff hike
3,000 families to get quake-proof flats
A musical evening
Visibility back in Shimla
"Allow Mulayam Government to prove its majority"
Supreme Court criticises IAS officers for flouting orders
Briefly
In the Capital Today
Reader's Mail

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu