Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath's grandiose plan to favour vertical growth in the city has hit a road block. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has taken up cudgels against high-rises in the National Capital.
Dikshit said she won't allow construction of high-rise buildings as long as she is "alive" as this will kill the natural beauty of Delhi. She has also been opposing the Army tooth & nail on its war memorial plan at India Gate.
At a seminar on 'Dilli - Kal Aaj Aur Kal,' organised by Assocham, the CM agreed that Delhi would need high-rises but said she was personally not in favour of it. She said it would be difficult to arrange adequate power and water supply, while skyscrapers would restrict open area. "Parks, greenery and gardens would suffer," she added.
Dikshit has been opposing vertical expansion, arguing that it would put additional stress on existing resources and infrastructure, besides severely hurting the ecology.
The Union Minister, on the other hand, has been strongly pitching for allowing high-rises to accommodate the growing population. Existing norms mandate height of a building in residential areas below 15 m.
The Urban Development Ministry is currently reviewing Delhi's Master Plan 2021 and is expected to finalise a number of amendments soon, like allowing high-rises and increasing existing floor area ratio (FAR). FAR is total floor area of a building by plot area.
listing achievements during her 14-year tenure as Chief Minister, Dikshit said the Congress Government tried to follow Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy. "Our Government's philosophy has been to reach out to people who need to be reached out to," she explained.
Dikshit admitted, "Many parts of Delhi do not get water and it is a matter of shame for us. We do not have water. What can we doIJ" Describing the situation as "tough", she said her Government managed to provide water to citizens by ensuring equitable distribution in spite of water crisis.
The CM also launched a fresh attack on the Delhi Police, saying the force has not been able to improve security for women. She pointed out that women were still scared of going to police stations to register complaints and there was a strong need for improving training of the force.
CM replies to Kejriwal ‘electrifying’ accusations
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday took a jibe at Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal for his agitation against inflated power bills, saying people who use air-conditioners would have to pay high tariff.
"In the last few years, sale of generators has declined in Delhi and sale of ACs has risen sharply. If you use an AC, you will have to pay its electricity bill. But Kejriwal does not talk about that," she said.
In March, Kejriwal had launched a massive agitation against Dikshit's Government in Delhi, alleging that it helped private power companies by increasing tariff.
This is the first time the CM has criticised Kejriwal from a public forum.