Date:03/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/03/stories/2007010315510400.htm

New Delhi

Capital's rural heritage under threat: BJP

Staff Reporter

Master Plan would expose the villages to sealing, claims Harsh Vardhan

NEW DELHI: With the Board of the Delhi Development Authority due to meet again on Wednesday to take up passage of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Harsh Vardhan has charged that the existing provisions of the final draft of the Plan would finish the Capital's rural heritage and industries. He said the provisions would expose the villages to sealing and demolitions and lead to closure of industries therein.

While during the DDA Board meeting on December 29 a large number of issues had been taken up, the meeting for Wednesday had been scheduled since the issue of mixed land use could not be taken up due to paucity of time. Since the four-hour-long meeting had remained inconclusive, it is expected that the remaining portions of the Master Plan would now be covered.

The non-official DDA members are again expected to raise a furore and demand more relief for people suffering due to the ongoing sealing and demolitions.

For his part, Dr. Vardhan said on Tuesday that as per Para 4.2.2.2. on Page 24 of the document, a redevelopment scheme had been mooted for the villages under which wide roads, wide lanes, parks, community centres, power centres, panchayat ghar and police posts had been made essential for their development. And for this, he said, sufficient space would be made available by dismantling the villages.

Stating that after implementation of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 the villagers would only be free to follow such professions as that of blacksmith, making products of sugarcanes and bamboos, utensils of clay and plaster of Paris, carpets, undertake weaving of saris, making ice-cream, stone carvings, running pottery industries without kiln, oil mills and wood carvings and other decorative wood works, Dr. Vardhan said all other trades operating in villages would be closed.

During the BJP rule, he said, a "mini-master plan" was framed for development of Delhi and as a result today there are multi-purpose community centres, panchayat ghars, hospitals, schools and drains in the villages.

Accusing the Congress of neglecting the villages, he said: "The population in the villages has increased rapidly, but the Congress has not extended the Lal Dora area and no provision has been made in the Master Plan in this regard. On the other hand, house tax, industry tax and licence fee are being imposed on the villages." He said other objectionable conditions such as the one in Para 81 that no villager can erect a roof for protection of his fields and crops should also be removed.