New Delhi, Dec 18: Traders today asked the Centre to include recommendations of the Tejinder Khanna Committee in the Delhi Master Plan 2021 for better planning in the capital and demanded an integrated mechanism for administration. 

"The Khanna Committee has recommended many innovative ways for planning in Delhi and we want the government to include those in the master plan 2021," confederation of all India traders secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said. 

He said the Khanna Committee has recommended the setting up of a Delhi vision group, formation of urban regulatory authority comprising town planners, engineers and representatives of DDA and MCD and constitution of a real estate commission to maintain digital data of all urban properties. 

The Khanna Committee has also recommended the setting up of an enforcement agency to check the menace of unauthorised constructions and an empowered special task force for key infrastructure projects to monitor projects, he said. 

"The centre has already accepted the Khanna Committee recommendations and therefore it is important to include it in the MPD 2021 to regularise all businesses so that traders are given permanent relief from sealing," Khandelwal said. 

He said the basic problem of Delhi`s planning was the multiplicity of authorities and an "integrated mechanism of administration in the capital under the direct control of a particular authority". 

The CAIT has also extended its support to the traders protesting against the sealing drive in various other states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Karnataka.
 
 

All possible steps to provide relief to traders: Manmohan 
Friday, Nov 17, 2006. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday assured a delegation of MLAs, led by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, that the Centre would take all possible legislative measures to provide relief to the lakhs of people affected by the ongoing sealing drive in the capital. 

During the hour-long interaction, Dr. Singh directed the Home Ministry to submit a note on delegating more powers to the Delhi Government. 

He sought a detailed note on the progress made on the Omesh Saigal Committee report on the working of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Ashok Pradhan Committee report on more powers for the Delhi Government. 

Assuring the MLAs that the Union Government would do everything possible to sort out the issue, Dr. Singh stated that whatever legislative measures were required would be taken and it would not hesitate to approach the judiciary. 

Earlier, briefing the Prime Minister, Ms. Dikshit said concrete steps were needed to grant full statehood to Delhi so that it got more powers to take decisions for the city and its people. 

Demanding that both the Delhi Development Authority and the MCD be brought under the Delhi Government, Ms. Dikshit sought a helping hand in resolving the problems faced by traders. 

Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma urged Dr. Singh to introduce an "amnesty scheme" to resolve all issues, and also notify the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021. 

Mahabal Mishra, MLA, said the Congress was passing through a bad phase and the common man was blaming the party for all the mess. 

Possible solutions : Stating that grant of full statehood and regularisation of unauthorised colonies were among the solutions, Mr. Mishra urged the Prime Minister to sympathetically consider measures to end the sealing exercise.
 
 

RWAs to pull out of UDM committee 

New Delhi, September 12: Delhi RWAs will approach the Ministry of Urban Development to withdraw their earlier request to be involved in MCD decisions on commercial activities in residential areas. “We have unfortunately fallen prey to the designs of politicians who have used us against each other,” said RC Kamboj of the Rohini Federation of RWAs. 

Key RWAs met today to discuss the MoUD notifications and the role played by the Delhi Government and instructed all RWAs who made representations to the Tejinder Khanna Committee to withdraw their representations immediately. 

Challenging the MCD Standing Committee recommendation for mixed land use, VN Bali of Ram Nagar in East Delhi said, “If our colony has been provided a commercial complex for its own needs, why is the MCD declaring more areas commercial”. RWAs feel that the MCD recommendations will lead to residential colonies being converted into commercial establishments.

DDA passes resolution allowing mixed land use
Wednesday, Sep 06, 2006 
All schools allowed to function from residential areas while restricting the banquet halls 
DDA has also relaxed the provision of commercial activity in all categories to roads that are 18-metre wide 
All these resolution have been passed despite stiff opposition from several RWAs which had stated that unplanned mixed use is a disastrous concept 

NEW DELHI: Giving major relief to those engaged in commercial activities in resettlement colonies, unauthorised colonies and regularised colonies, the Delhi Development Authority on Tuesday passed a resolution allowing mixed land use on 6-metre-wide roads in all these areas. Further, it also allowed all schools to function from residential areas while restricting the banquet halls to existing and proposed commercial and industrial areas. 

With the resolution being sent to the Union Urban Development Ministry for notification, several DDA members expressed the hope that it would be notified within this week and would provide the much needed respite from sealing to lakhs of residents. DDA Vice-Chairman Dinesh Rai said the decisions taking during the day were based on the recommendations of the Tejinder Khanna Committee. 

At a marathon three-hour meeting chaired by the officiating Lieutenant-Governor, A.R. Kidwai, at Haryana Bhavan here, the Authority allowed running of pedestal street shops in all C, D, E, F, G and H category colonies. It also permitted building material business pertaining to sand and iron within the four walls of buildings in all these areas. As for the A and B category areas, it was stated that the views of the residents' welfare associations concerned would be taken before providing relief to commercial activities therein. 

Providing further impetus to commercialisation of the city, DDA also relaxed the provision of commercial activity in all categories to roads that are 18-metre wide. Earlier, the minimum requirement was that the road should be at least 30-metre-wide. However, as before, hazardous and other activities falling in the negative list will not be permitted. 

DDA member Mahabal Mishra said the meeting also permitted running of banquet halls in all commercial and industrial areas. 

While not allowing them to run from residential areas, DDA has sought to provide them relief too by allowing them in new commercial areas to be identified soon. 

The biggest bonanza is for schools across the city which were fearing closure due to their illegal status in residential areas. Holding out that no Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi or recognised school would be sealed, DDA has given all unrecognised schools a year's time to get themselves recognised and continue with their activities. 

For the preparatory schools. too, the rules have been further eased and now besides ground floor they would also be able to operate from first floor of buildings. 

In the villages, commercial activities would be permitted on existing roads. Member Jile Singh Chauhan said in Lal Dora and extended Lal Dora areas all activities barring hazardous ones would be permitted. "Further, DDA has been asked to redefine the definition of warehousing so that there is no loss to the villagers," he said. 

Adopting a holistic approach after allowing all kinds of commercial activities, DDA also passed a resolution to clear all encroachments from government land on main roads. 

Another important decision taken at the meeting pertained to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi identifying in consultation with DDA roads with heavy commercialisation for declaring them commercial. 

Incidentally, all these resolution have been passed despite stiff opposition from several RWAs which had stated that unplanned mixed use is a disastrous concept. They had held that zoning is a modern town planning concept and mixed-use could only be an exception and not a rule. 

The Delhi Residents' Welfare Associations Joint Front had stated that the model mixed land abuse being sought to be legalised will set a wrong trend in other cities and this unplanned growth will put further pressure on the inadequate civic services. 

DDA member Virender Kasana said guest houses had now been permitted on nine metre and wider roads in resettlement colonies and in case of villages mixed use has been permitted on all kinds of roads.

Tejinder Khanna Committee
Wednesday, Aug 02, 2006
NEW DELHI: In a bid to regulate growth and commercialisation in the rural belt of the Capital and adhering to the suggestions made by the Tejinder Khanna Committee, the Union Urban Development Ministry has set up an "Expert Committee" to recommend special building by-laws for "Lal Dora" and its extended areas. At present, no such building by-laws exist for the rural areas of Delhi. 

The Khanna Committee had sought framing of special building by-laws for such areas stating that lack of such a policy had led to unauthorised and unplanned growth. It had also recommended that all existing showrooms or guest houses on major public roads be regularised in view of the general policy recommendation to allow non-residential activity along such roads. Commercial activity could also be permitted on narrow streets below nine metres and six metres width provided such streets are designated as pedestrian shopping streets (PSS), it had added. 

Positive inputs 
 

According to sources, the decision to constitute the Expert Committee was taken to get positive inputs and a feel of the situation at the ground level so that further action including framing of laws could be initiated under the new regime. The Committee has been asked to submit its report within three months so that its recommendations could be incorporated ino the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 that is currently under preparation and expected to be formally notified in a few months. "The idea of the whole exercise is to keep into account the present situation prevailing in the rural areas of the Capital. There is virtually total non-existence of civic amenities due to lack of proper planning and regulated growth. This has to change and the rural belt has to be given a new face by helping it emerge at par with the urban areas but at the same time retain its rural character,'' a senior official remarked. 

Sources said the decision to constitute experts groups to study the various issues pertaining to the Tejinder Khanna Committee indicated the Ministry's seriousness to sort out the mess and set the ball rolling for not only changes in the laws and bringing them in tune with the modern times but also give the Capital the chance for "Nav Nirman'' (Re-development). The Committee is likely to survey all existing properties and evaluate them from the standpoint of structural safety. 

"There is no reason why villagers who happen to have plots within Lal Dora adjoining major roads should be denied the opportunity of exploiting the favourable location to their advantage, in the same way as an owner of similar premises outside the Lal Dora area,'' the official remarked. 

The Khanna panel had also recommended that all future construction and land use in Lal Dora and extended Lal Dora areas be brought within an appropriate framework of regulations.

NEW DELHI: The Union Urban Development Ministry is understood to have made up its mind to notify the recommendations of the Tejinder Khanna Committee report on mixed land use and new building by-laws in the Capital. The notification is expected to be issued this week giving one month's time for seeking public views before notifying it as part of the Master Plan for Delhi-2001. 

According to highly placed sources, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy has taken a decision to this effect after prolonged consultations with his junior colleague Ajay Maken and senior officials. 

In another development, the Urban Development Ministry is apparently planning to include the issuing of notification on the Tejinder Khanna Committee report in the affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court that is scheduled to take up hearing on the validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, on July 31. In addition, the affidavit is also likely to mention the fact that the Delhi Development Authority had already acted on the directions of the Supreme Court and notified the zonal plans that are a very important aspect for development of any area or city. 

According to sources, Mr. Reddy had appraised the Prime Minister's Office of the developments on the demolitions and sealing issue. Mr. Reddy is of the view that the Union Urban Development Ministry should act fast and not sit on the findings of the Tejinder Khanna Committee that had made several recommendations after taking into consideration the viewpoint expressed by a cross-section of society including residents' welfare associations. "We will give 30 days' notice as mandatory for such an exercise to seek public feedback on the notification of the various aspects of the report. After that period and taking into consideration the public opinion, major recommendations of the Tejinder Khanna Committee would be notified by amending the Master Plan for Delhi-2001 for all old structures and old areas. The new areas and structures would be covered by the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021 when it is notified,'' said a senior Ministry official. 

This development should bring cheer to residents' welfare associations and provide major relief to large sections of people affected by various directions of the Court. The Tejinder Khanna Committee has recommended "zero tolerance'' for mixed land use in posh Tier-I colonies, limited mixed land use in middle-class Tier-II colonies and a liberal mixed land use policy in economically weaker Tier-III and other colonies across the Capital. 

The Committee has categorised the colonies on the basis of the Unit Area Method scheme leaving out a majority of the posh colonies of the Capital out of the mixed land use ambit and applying the "zero tolerance'' formula there as demanded by the local RWAs. 

In such colonies, the Committee has suggested that in the case of self-occupied premises of professionals such as lawyers, doctors, architects, chartered accounts, lawyers and computer specialists, only up to 50 per cent of the covered area should be allowed for "home-based professional work stations''. For any other existing or proposed non-residential use, the onus for justifying such use should be much stiffer and cast on the applicant.

	Web www.liveindia.com