On a day when markets across the national Capital remained shut in protest against the ongoing sealing drive, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Friday approved three major changes in the city’s Master Plan 2021 to provide relief to traders hit by the sealing drive being carried out in the city on the orders of the Supreme Court-appointed empowered monitoring committee.
The DDA passed three significant proposals — Higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR), reduced conversion charges and regularising agricultural godowns — to amend Master Plan 2021. The move can provide a relief to traders from the ongoing sealing of commercial shops and establishments. The authority meeting was chaired by Delhi’s lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the chairman of DDA.
The DDA in its Board meeting on Friday proposed that local shopping complexes FAR should be increased from existing 180 per cent to 300 per cent and regularisation of agricultural godowns on 12-metre wide roads.
“The ongoing sealing drive has raised large-scale public grievance and is affecting the public order. Shopkeepers and traders associations in such areas have been demanding applicability of residential plots development control norms for the shop-cum-residential plots designated as lSCs in the approved Zonal Plans as well other existing shop-cum-residential scheme pre or post 1962”, an official statement issued by the l-G’s office said.
“It has been proposed to provide uniform FAR in shop-cum-residence plots/ complexes at par with the residential plots as given on mixed use street which will depend on size of the plot and subject to availability of parking. In the proposed amendments, there will be a reduction in conversion charge penalties from existing 10 times to two times,” it said.
“Commercial activity in the basements will be allowed in all commercial areas “subject to payment of requisite charges without any discrimination,” said the official statement.
The provisions of parking as per prevailing standards shall be mandatory for approval and sanctioning of any revised plans by the concerned local body in case of shop cum residence plots or shop cum residence plots designated as lSC, the DDA mentioned. The parking matter shall be calculated as stated for respective category (plot sizes) of residential plot or plotted development.
“In case the required parking as per norms is not possible on the existing development and plot, provisions for public parking have been made,” DDA said in official statement.
“The parking space is to be jointly provided by the concerned local bodies and concerned traders and establishments in the vicinity,” it said.
According to the resolution passed in the DDA Board meeting, non-conforming clusters of godowns/warehousing activities of minimum 4 hectare contiguous area and having concentration of more than 55 per cent within the clusters may be considered for redevelopment of area.
“Individual plots which do not form part of any cluster will be governed by the provisions of the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 / Zonal Development Plans. After notification of such clusters by the GNCTD, the redevelopment scheme will have to be prepared by the Society (to be formed by the land owners) based on specified norms / conditions and thereafter approved by the concerned local authority/MCD”, it said.
DDA member and leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, told The Pioneer that the DDA Board now has approved these amendments, “It is in public domain now and a meeting will be called after that. On February 7, Ministry Of Urban development will notify this… we are hoping, with this move traders will get much relief,” Gupta said.