In an attempt to provide relief to traders from the ongoing sealing drive on the recommendations of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will bring amendments to the Master Plan for Delhi 2021. The Ministry is also in the process of finalising the uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residence plots, complexes, operating and commercial streets, residential and commercial areas, and local shopping centres.
The Ministry is also finalising a policy to regularise godowns clusters existing in non-conforming areas and agriculture land to give relief from sealing drive.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said the Government was planning to amend the Master Plan 2021 for Delhi in an attempt to provide a relief to traders from the ongoing sealing drive in the city.
“The Ministry has directed the local bodies, including Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and three Municipal Corporations, to bring a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) in shop-cum-residence plots, complexes, operating and commercial streets, residential area, commercial areas and local shopping centre in the national Capital,” Puri said.
According to Puri, the Ministry has decided to allow commercial activities in basements in all commercial street areas subject to payment of requisite charges without any discrimination.
“These will relief to the traders from sealing drive. Besides, the Ministry will also reduce in penalty charges in case of non registration of owners of shop cum residence cases,” he said.
The Minister said after meetings with stakeholders they have come up with proposals for amendments in the MPD 2021. It would be taken up in a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) meeting on Friday, he said.
Once the proposed amendments are accepted, a notification will be placed in public domain, Puri said he has decided to reduce the number of days for which the notification has to be put in public domain from 45 to three, considering the urgency of the situation.
The authority is planning to increase the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of commercial establishments which will increase ground coverage and floors.
The Ministry has also appealed to the Delhi Government to address some problems, including notifying the 351 commercial roads. This will cover all major markets and areas in the national Capital.
The apex court-appointed monitoring committee has started the sealing drive in lSCs for misuse and non-payment of conversion charges, with fresh pressure from the court. The owners of city shops sealed either did not pay conversion charges — the fee paid for converting residential premises into commercial one or flouted permitted FAR norms. A delegation of BJP members also met Puri last week, seeking relief from sealing drive. The BJP members are afraid that if the sealing will continue, their prospects will be dim if the election Commission announces bypolls in Delhi in the wake of 20 AAP MlAs’ disqualifications.
Following the directions of Prime Minister’s Office to address the traders’ unrest due to ongoing sealing drive in the national Capital, the Ministry has circulated a communiqués to all local bodies directing them to take steps to check sealing drive here.
In the communiqués, the Ministry has asked to consider waiving off the penalty in case of encroachment by shops on paying one-time parking charges and conversion charges along with registration before June 30, 2018.
The Ministry has also advised that the conversion charges already approved or lowered for Sarojini Nagar, Khan Market, Green Park Extension at the rate of Rs 22,274 per square metre for conversion from residential to commercial. The scheme is available till June 30, 2018 so sealing drive should be on hold till June 30. The existing penalty is ten times of annual conversion charges for mixed use on such properties. The properties may be located on commercial notified roads, mixed use streets, pedestrians shopping streets, and also include places running professional activities as mentioned in the Master Plan of Delhi. Currently, any delay on the payment of development charges for parking or mixed use charges of the relevant financial year is compoundable on payment of interest at 8 per cent annually.
The Minister further said that the lieutenant Governor of Delhi has taken a number of initiatives to decongest, improve urban atmosphere and ensure planned development. “These relate to introducing penalty charges for parking, otherwise it’ll be free for all. Everybody who has vehicle will treat this as free for all,” he said.
“Delhi which I see now pains me. It is becoming congested, it is resulting in activities which a capital city, no city should have. So I think wit this we are starting a new process & we can count on everyone,” Puri added.