Unhappy over alleged harassment of residents by police in name of checking unauthorised construction, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is likely to seek the Centre’s intervention to direct the force to concentrate on improving law and order situation rather than meddling in other issues. Dikshit voiced her displeasure about police’s role in checking unauthorised construction in various areas, including in lal Dora areas, at a meeting attended by a number of her cabinet colleagues and MPs.
The meeting discussed various problems being faced by lakhs of residents of lal Dora areas. The Chief Minister has been critical of functioning of police following the December 16 gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl.
In February, the Chief Minister had even sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to ensure better policing in Delhi, complaining that the force had failed to deliver on its promises to improve women’s safety after the December 16 incident that sparked a public outrage.
The Delhi Government had last month taken an “in-principle” decision to regularise all colonies which came up on extended lal Dora land. Regularisation of the colonies will help residents get their properties registered and carry out construction works after approval of building plans. “The Chief Minister made it clear that the police must concentrate on improving law and order rather than on the issues which come under the jurisdiction of the local bodies and other agencies,” officials who attended the meeting quoted Dikshit as saying.
They said she favoured “clear demarcation” of roles of various agencies so that residents are not harassed by more than one agency on a single issue. The Chief Minister told the meeting that her Government may take up the issue with the Union Government. Officials said the meeting also discussed abolishing Rule 81 of the land Acquisition Act, which will mean that villages in the national capital would no longer be apprehensive of getting notices under the provision.
The Chief Minister indicated Government may bring a Cabinet note for regularisation of colonies in extended lal Dora and to restrict use of Rule 81. As per existing norms under the Act, no agricultural land can be used for construction of houses and other purposes but lifting of the restriction would pave the way for building flats on these areas. The meeting was attended by Urban Development Minister Arvinder Singh lovely, PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, Chief Secretary DM Spolia and MPs Sandeep Dikshit and Ramesh Kumar besides a dozen of MlAs. On the issue of shifting of high tension power transmission lines from densely-populated areas, Dikshit said the Government was mulling policy to address the issue.
East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, while expressing his deep concern over the delay in commissioning of Munak Canal, suggested a delegation of elected representatives of Delhi should call on the Haryana Chief Minister to impress upon the need for immediate settlement of the issue. The Munak canal was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around Rs 400 crore from the Delhi Government on the condition that the national Capital will be supplied 80 MGD water from it. But later, Haryana refused to supply the water to the city. The meeting decided a delegation would soon meet Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda.
Govt to construct low cost flats for EWS
New Delhi: Delhi Government on Saturday approved a long-pending proposal to construct around 40,000 low cost flats in the city for distribution among people belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS). The proposal was given a go ahead at a meeting of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
The flats will be constructed at Savda Ghevra and Bhalswa area of Jahangirpuri. A 100 acre plot is lying vacant at Savda Ghevra while the size of the land at Bhalswa is around 102 acre. “Around 40,000 flats for urban poor would be developed at these two sites,” said a senior DUSIB official. The DUSIB is the nodal agency for implementing the slum relocation policy.
The meeting also approved four more projects for construction of around 6,200 flats under Rajiv Awas Yojana and in-situ re-development scheme for Jhugi Jhopri clusters in various areas. It also decided to distribute 14,000 low-cost flats to slum dwellers by September as their constructions have already been completed.
The flats were built by Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) in Bawana, Narela and Bhorgah area with financial assistance from the Union Urban Development Ministry under the JNNURM scheme. The meeting also gave its nod for construction of a working women hostel at Jhilmil Colony in East Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 3.74 crore.