NEW DELHI: Giving major relief to those engaged in commercial activities in resettlement colonies, unauthorised colonies and regularised colonies, the Delhi Development Authority on Tuesday passed a resolution allowing mixed land use on 6-metre-wide roads in all these areas. Further, it also allowed all schools to function from residential areas while restricting the banquet halls to existing and proposed commercial and industrial areas.

With the resolution being sent to the Union Urban Development Ministry for notification, several DDA members expressed the hope that it would be notified within this week and would provide the much needed respite from sealing to lakhs of residents. DDA Vice-Chairman Dinesh Rai said the decisions taking during the day were based on the recommendations of the Tejinder Khanna Committee.

At a marathon three-hour meeting chaired by the officiating Lieutenant-Governor, A.R. Kidwai, at Haryana Bhavan here, the Authority allowed running of pedestal street shops in all C, D, E, F, G and H category colonies. It also permitted building material business pertaining to sand and iron within the four walls of buildings in all these areas. As for the A and B category areas, it was stated that the views of the residents' welfare associations concerned would be taken before providing relief to commercial activities therein.

Providing further impetus to commercialisation of the city, DDA also relaxed the provision of commercial activity in all categories to roads that are 18-metre wide. Earlier, the minimum requirement was that the road should be at least 30-metre-wide. However, as before, hazardous and other activities falling in the negative list will not be permitted.

DDA member Mahabal Mishra said the meeting also permitted running of banquet halls in all commercial and industrial areas.

While not allowing them to run from residential areas, DDA has sought to provide them relief too by allowing them in new commercial areas to be identified soon.

The biggest bonanza is for schools across the city which were fearing closure due to their illegal status in residential areas. Holding out that no Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi or recognised school would be sealed, DDA has given all unrecognised schools a year's time to get themselves recognised and continue with their activities.

For the preparatory schools. too, the rules have been further eased and now besides ground floor they would also be able to operate from first floor of buildings.

In the villages, commercial activities would be permitted on existing roads. Member Jile Singh Chauhan said in Lal Dora and extended Lal Dora areas all activities barring hazardous ones would be permitted. "Further, DDA has been asked to redefine the definition of warehousing so that there is no loss to the villagers," he said.

Adopting a holistic approach after allowing all kinds of commercial activities, DDA also passed a resolution to clear all encroachments from government land on main roads.

Another important decision taken at the meeting pertained to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi identifying in consultation with DDA roads with heavy commercialisation for declaring them commercial.

Incidentally, all these resolution have been passed despite stiff opposition from several RWAs which had stated that unplanned mixed use is a disastrous concept. They had held that zoning is a modern town planning concept and mixed-use could only be an exception and not a rule.

The Delhi Residents' Welfare Associations Joint Front had stated that the model mixed land abuse being sought to be legalised will set a wrong trend in other cities and this unplanned growth will put further pressure on the inadequate civic services.

DDA member Virender Kasana said guest houses had now been permitted on nine metre and wider roads in resettlement colonies and in case of villages mixed use has been permitted on all kinds of roads.

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