Other States - New Delhi   

New policy guidelines a great respite for people: BJP

By our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JULY 29. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party today welcomed the new "policy guidelines'' issued by the Union Urban Development Ministry to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and claimed that the sword of demolition hanging over one crore residents of the Capital would now be removed.

Addressing a press conference, the five BJP members of Parliament from Delhi, led by the party's Delhi unit chief, Madan Lal Khurana, termed the guidelines as a "great respite'' for the common man. The BJP spokesman, V.K.Malhotra, the Union Labour Minister, Sahib Singh Verma, the party's general secretary, Anita Arya, and the Delhi BJP vice-president, Lal Behari Tiwari, were present on the occasion.

These policy guidelines, which have to be incorporated by the DDA in its Master Plan-2021 now under preparation, were announced by the Union Urban Development Minister, B.C. Khanduri, at a press conference on Monday. These guidelines advocate mixed residential and commercial land use; commercial and office use of industrial premises and incorporation of unauthorised colonies in the mainstream of urban development.

Mr. Khurana claimed that with these "policy guidelines'', all the unauthorised colonies would be regularised. The same would be the case with over four lakh shops in residential areas, unauthorised constructions made in 16 lakh houses and residential areas having more than 70 per cent industries would be declared as industrial areas. ``The policy guidelines would put an end to large-scale land acquisition and its development which will prevent mushrooming of unauthorised colonies,'' he said. "With higher floor area ratio (FAR) permitted under the policy guidelines, the large middle and lower middle class residents of the Capital would be able to meet their needs for more accommodations,'' he added.

Referring to these guidelines, Mr. Khurana said the Master Plan would be suitably amended to honour the BJP's commitment of all round development of the Capital. At the same time, Mr. Khurana said the BJP was in favour of taking strong action against the land mafia and persons responsible for creating unauthorised colonies.

Mr. Malhotra said the policy directions fulfil all the promises made by the BJP in the past several years and the party's election manifesto of 1993 and 1998. He argued that this would facilitate conservation and expansion of Delhi's green cover which will make the Capital a pollution-free city.

Mr. Verma said the guidelines fulfilled the "long-pending'' demand of the Capital's villagers. Now the villagers would be able to develop land and build colonies by themselves. He alleged that the anti-people policies of the Congress during the last 50 years had resulted in mushrooming of unauthorised colonies and slums. ''The policy direction tends to remove these anomalies,'' he said. The policy guidelines visualises induction of the private sector for planned urban development and housing in Delhi, he added.

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

Other States

News: | Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• New policy guidelines a great respite for people: BJP
• Only issuing guidelines was of no consequence: Sheila
• Amir Khusro anniversary
• NGOs join hands for the cause of children
• Bank team visits Metro sites
• DMRC to recruit men on its own

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu