The contentious issue of land acquisition for multi-level parking in Khan Market has finally been resolved.
With the land issue being cleared, the NDMC has now fast-tracked its plan for the market. The earlier reluctant New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), on Thursday, paid Rs 15 crore to land and Development Office (l&DO) in lieu of the land provided for the parking lot. Redevelopment plan of the posh market was stalled due to indecision over land for the proposed parking lot. With acquisition of the land, the civic agency has now expedited its ambitious plan to redevelop the posh market — the main focus being on building an underground car-corridor in the area. Sources said that the DMRC has submitted a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard which has also been approved by the council.
“The council had decided to agree with the terms and conditions of l&DO in its meeting held on January 10. Acting on the decision, the NDMC on Thursday made a payment of Rs 14.77 crore to the land owning agency,” informed an official. The civic agency now has 4,972 square metres of land for implementing its plan of multi-level parking in the market. The civic body has paid Rs 28,980 per square metre to the l&DO against their previous demand of paying Rs 11,000 per acre.
Meanwhile, the civic body which approached the DMRC for carving out plans for traffic circulation and underground tunneling in Khan Market has received the DPR from the transport utility. Sources in the civic body have said that the DPR too has been approved in the council meeting held on Friday and work will soon begin. As regarding the buildings in the market, the architecture department of the NDMC has drawn a plan for implementing the fire safety norms which is now at a planning stage.
The long-standing tussle continued for over two years as the NDMC had claimed that the agency was charging commercial rates for the land. The civic body wanted the land for a meagre Rs 13,000. “We didn’t want to pay such a huge amount which was equivalent to commercial rates as the parking won’t be used for that purpose. It already is a commercial area. In all the other land that they allotted to us like on KG Marg, they had not demanded commercial rates before,” informed the official.