Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010761690300.htm

New Delhi

MCD leaders meet Reddy

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A delegation of members of the Bharatiya Janata Party Core Committee in the Municipal Corporation led by Leader of the House Subhash Arya met Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy on Tuesday.

They presented to him a memorandum demanding an Ordinance to protect certain categories of properties from sealing since the term of provisions of the Delhi Laws Special Provisional Act expired on December 31.

These categories include residential unauthorised colonies, village abadi area and its extensions, jhuggi clusters, farm houses, religious institutions and godowns among others.

“As the Union Government could not strike a balance between demand and supply of housing and commercial space, it led to additional construction and alteration either for livelihood or housing. Today this has become a gigantic problem,” Mr. Arya added.

The delegation demanded that the Minister come out with a permanent solution by bringing a one-time amnesty scheme so that such constructions can be regularised and the areas falling therein could be given permanent relief from sealing, Mr. Arya said.