The Hindu : New Delhi News : Gulmohar Park residents protest land allotment

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Monday, Feb 23, 2009
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New Delhi

Gulmohar Park residents protest land allotment

Special Correspondent

DDA allegedly changed the
land use

NEW DELHI: A large number of residents of Gulmohar Park here held a protest meeting on Sunday against what they called “illegal, unjust and unfair” allotment of 1,000 square metre of land in the middle of the residential colony to “Kala Ashram” to run a dance school.

Members of the Gulmohar Park Journalists’ Colony Residents Welfare Association as well as office-bearers of the four journalists cooperative house building societies – Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Trust of India, Times of India and Press Association -- who were originally allotted the land in Gulmohar Park gathered at the site in A-Block to protest against the allotment to “Kala Ashram” by arbitrarily changing the land use by the Delhi Development Authority.

The protest meeting was addressed by office-bearers of the RWA and the four cooperative societies. They pointed out that the allotment was in violation of the March 3, 2006, directive of the Delhi High Court as well as another directive of the then Urban Development Minister Mr. Jagmohan who had observed way back on December 2, 1999, that the layout plan meant for the purpose of a nursery school or a green area should not be changed keeping in view overcrowding and congestion which was becoming a menace in the Capital.

Residents alleged that the DDA had shown “undue haste” in rejecting their representation and allotted the plot in favour of “Kala Ashram” on April 3, 2006. Residents said the allotment was also in violation of Delhi Master Plan for 2021 which prohibits use of land in residential colony for institutional purposes as such activity would cause serious damage to the peace, tranquillity and ecology of the residential colony.

The residents have sought immediate intervention of the Urban Development Ministry as well as Delhi Lieutenant-Governor to cancel the allotment. They pointed out that there were at least three dance schools in the vicinity and demanded that “Kala Ashram” could be moved to an alternative site in an institutional area in the city.

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