We want growth along Metro corridors

Condoning the illegalities of the past, the Union Urban Development Ministry wants Delhi of the future to be a vertical city where people are housed in high rises with quick access to public transport and modern commercial centres. A blueprint of this idea was presented by Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday, while announcing the passing of a Bill by Parliament which would put an end to all punitive action such as sealing and demolition in Delhi for the next three years. “We want to move people and not vehicles,'' Mr Nath said while elaborating how the Delhi of the future would enjoy the fruits of higher floor area ratio and floor space index.“Time has come for Delhi to go vertical,'' he said, adding that ``there are many areas – like beyond Dwarka – where the carrying capacity of the city can be enhanced. We will look at highest possible FARs and FSIs to achieve this.''The Minister said the city should also make the optimum use of the Delhi Metro which after the fourth phase would be 415 km long and would thus become bigger than even the London Tube. “We want the growth to be along the metro corridors. These areas should be commercialised so that people have easy access to such places. We also want more commercial development over the stations and other such areas.''The Minister said for all this the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 needs to be reviewed extensively.“The current Master Plan does not take into account the ground realities. It does not appreciate the enormity of urban infrastructure deficit. The review is expected to lead to modifications and these include change in land use.''Holding out that Delhi at present has a lot of agriculture and lal dora land, the Minister said “but there is no agriculture in Delhi. We have to adopt and adapt and therefore directions have been issued to the Delhi Development Authority to create an enabling structure to arrive at a revised Master Plan for Delhi.''At the same time, he said: “We do not want the Master Plan to be made in offices. There should be people's participating in drafting it and the RWAs and other associations would be called to give their suggestions and views.''On the need for the “The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Bill, 2011”, which was passed by the Parliament on Wednesday to make special provisions for Delhi for extending the moratorium against sealing and demolition for the further period of three years up to December 31, 2014, the Minister said due to the failures of the successive Master Plans over the last 50 years, we cannot punish the people.“We cannot look at demolishing or sealing buildings. There has to be a regeneration of the areas such as Karol Bagh and Walled City.'' Stating that all the sealed premises would be unsealed, he added that the law would not give any relief to encroachments on government land or where the structural safety of the buildings was called into question.But for any punitive action against these too, the agencies would have to take the permission of the Lieutenant- Governor.The Minister said the increase in population of Delhi in the last 20 years has been more than its total population till 1980 and therefore the Master Plans have not been able to cope with the growth momentum leading to increase in unauthorised colonies, slums and Jhuggi-jhonpris and associated problems.He said the DDA has been directed to create Master Plan review cells, each responsible for a particular area of Delhi to be headed by an officer of appropriate seniority and the names of these officers would be published in newspapers so that the public and other associations may make their representations to them.Besides, he said, the DDA has also been told to hold “Open House” in each of the areas and visit the areas in order to factor in the ground realities.In addition to the team created by the Lieutenant-Governor for the review of MPD – 2021, Mr. Nath said an Apex Committee has been constituted under the Lieutenant-Governor which would include Secretary (Urban Development), Secretary (Housing) and Chief Secretary, Delhi. This Apex Committee would formally submit the revised MPD – 2021 to the Ministry and the first report is expected by June 30, 2012.The Minister said the DDA has also been directed to set up an on-line system for conversion of properties from leasehold to freehold.Besides, he said a Delhi Urban Regulatory and Appellate Authority has been proposed to hear and recommend to the Ministry of Urban Development temporary or permanent land use changes in the Master or Zonal plans.