Date:22/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/22/stories/2006022222400300.htm

New Delhi

Master Plan should reflect people's sentiments: Maken

Staff Reporter

DDA asked to gear up to meet challenges of growing metropolis

Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken.

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken has demanded that the Master Plan-2021, which is being finalised, should reflect the sentiments of the people at large `more realistically and holistically'. Speaking at a review of the Master Plan following a detailed presentation by Delhi Development Authority, the Minister said the past record of preparing zonal plans and layout plans of DDA was also not up to the mark. He advised it to improve and equip itself to meet the challenges of a growing metropolis.

The young Member of Parliament from New Delhi, who since taking charge as Union Minister recently has been following the developments in Delhi very closely, also asked DDA to work within a fixed time frame and involve the people in the process of plan formulation and as per the needs of a growing city.

To take this process of taking the people into confidence ahead, he directed the DDA to organise two workshops. One of these, he said, should be with public representatives and representatives of political parties while the other should have participation of the immediately aggrieved groups like the Mahapanchayat of rural areas and the fashion industry apart from various other citizen groups.

Mr. Maken also called for a comprehensive long-term plan to address various issues related to slums such as their in-situ development, relocation and rehabilitation. He said there was also a need to work on the impending plans for the old city, the area shown as urbanisable in the city, the previous record of land acquisition and the proposal for providing low-cost housing to the citizens.

Later, in a statement, the Minister criticised the opposition BJP for politicising the issue of delay in implementation of the Master Plan and said that the Government led by it at the Centre from 1998 onward had done nothing to even start the process of formulation of MPD 2021, even after it lapsed in 2001, leave apart having done any thing to expedite its notification.

"While the process of making the plan should have started as early as 1998, it was only the Congress-led UPA government that seriously started the process of formulation and implementation of the Plan after assuming power in 2004," Mr Maken said. He claimed that efforts by a Congress-led dispensation at the Centre since May 2004 had ensured that the Draft MPD 2021 was considered and approved by the Authority as early as January 10, 2005. Subsequently, the notification was issued and objections and suggestions received. Then a Board of Enquiry was duly constituted to consider them and it has met on 11 occasions to hear and enquire into the objections and suggestions thus made, he said.