Records contradict status of revamp plan
NEWDELHI: Hours after a fire in an illegal manufacturing unit in north Delhi’s Anaj Mandi claimed 43 lives Sunday, Union urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused the Delhi government of burying for three years a file concerning notification of the area’s redevelopment plan. However, file records maintained by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government contradict the Union minister’s allegation.
The plan was prepared by the municipal corporation of north
Delhi. It– addressed as the special area redevelopment plan – was meant to keep a check on illegal constructions and unauthorised land use, among other things, under its jurisdiction. Once notified, it would, arguably, prevent untoward incidents such as Sunday’s.
On Sunday, Puri had said that the “final plan” was approved by the corporation and sent to the Delhi government’s urban development department in April 2017, but the latter was yet to notify it.
However, Delhi government documents, which HT accessed Monday, suggested that the file kept moving from one department to the next between May 4, 2018, and December 5, 2019, when it was last forwarded to L-G Anil Baijal’s office.
The file reached offices of law minister Kailash Gahlot and urban development minister Satyendar Jain on July 15, 2019, and August 26, 2019, respectively, and it was cleared by each within 24 hours, records showed. An official in the chief minister’s office said Jain had commented in favour of the notification.
The file records, however, suggested that the file was first generated on May 4, 2018, in the office of the director of local bodies— the department which acts as a link between Delhi government and the civic agencies. Between July 11, 2018, and December 4, 2019, it moved between several departments including the local bodies, urban development, legal affairs and office of the chief secretary.
On Monday, Union urban affairs ministry spokesperson Rajeev Jain maintained that the date on which the plan was approved, as mentioned by the minister, (April 2017) is correct. However, officials in the L-G’S office said they would comment after thoroughly looking into it.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government emphasised on the need to grant statehood to the Capital and the related dichotomy in its administration. “The elected government of Delhi has been kept out of the entire process of Master Plans by the Delhi Development Authority and other wings of the Central government citing that it has no say in the matter since Land is a ‘Reserved Subject’ under the Constitution, meaning it is under the exclusive domain of the Central government, just like police and public order,” Jain’s office said on Monday.