The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Directorate of Delhi desires its own building to house its headquarters but the procedure is tangled in red tape.
The NCC was allotted 6.79 acres in Sector 19, Rohini, way back in 1988 but the building has not been approved till date due to interference by different wings of the Government. The delay has resulted in cancellation of the allotment by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as construction could not commence within the stipulated period.
Now, the NCC Directorate has written to DDA, the Public Works Department (PWD), its engineer in chief and Secretary (Education) to release the land and waive the composition fee and restoration charges — Rs 60.18 crore.
In a letter dated July 11, the DDA had directed Major General lK Rampal, additional director general of NCC Directorate Delhi, to cough up Rs 60.18 crore (Rs 59.35 crore composition fee for non-construction and Rs 82.43 lakh as restoration charges).
"The authority is pleased to restore the allotment of land and extension of time up to 2016 for construction of NCC Bhavan, subject to payment. You are requested to make payment in favour of DDA and furnish a third copy of challan to this office at the earliest so further action can be taken," it noted. In his reply on July 17, Major General Rampal urged waiving of the fee and issuance of sanction for the building plan as soon as possible, since it has been pending since January 2008.
"The project is a Governmental project purely for the welfare of 40,000 NCC cadets of Delhi who are facing great hardship in their training. The inordinate delay is badly hampering activities of these cadets. The demand for composition fee and restoration charges could enhance cost of project and may derail it further," he said.
"Keeping in view the foremost interest of the cadets, basing on precedent (DDA had waived composition fee for the land in 2003) and this being a Government department, it is requested to please waive of the fee in public interest. I assure you the project will commence soon and be completed expeditiously," the letter added.