Date:15/10/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/10/15/stories/2004101518040300.htm

New Delhi

Left blasts Sheila over units issue

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. Reacting to the Delhi Chief Minister's statement that she needed solutions and not ultimatums over the issue of shifting of industries, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Delhi State Committee today said the allegations were "baseless and misleading''.

The party released copies of the note submitted by the CPI (M) leaders, Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury, to the United Progressive Alliance chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on October 12. According to them, the note was also sent to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on October 13.

The note, demanding regularisation of industrial units in non-conforming areas in Delhi, suggests that the Union Government should bring about an Ordinance within 10 days to regularise the areas of industrial concentration, that is areas that are 50 per cent or more industrial in nature. It also states that units in non-conforming areas that have less than 50 per cent industrial concentration should be relocated in new industrial areas to be developed by the Delhi Government and a time bound plan should be announced in this regard in the Ordinance, in consultation with the Delhi Government.

"If Ms. Dikshit is so serious about defending the Delhi industry, then she should have taken a political stand in court. They are just using the shoulder of the Supreme Court to fire. If they are still serious about this, then all they have to do is to bring about the Ordinance, else they should say that they want to close down the industries,'' alleged Central Committee Member, CPI (M), Jogendar Sharma. He also added that in order to make the Ordinance effective, it must also state that the Master Plan of Delhi 2001 will remain operative till the new Master Plan of Delhi 2021 comes into force.

"The land use can be changed for other purposes like the construction of the Akshardham Temple and the mutli-storey complexes planned within the Ridge area, but it cannot be changed when it comes to protecting the livelihood of 30 lakh people,'' he added.

They also reiterated their threat to physically resist teams that are sealing industries or cutting off their electricity and water supply. "We will physically resist the teams. And unseal any industrial areas that they seal,'' stated Mr. Sharma.