Parliament panel tells DDA to find out lapses in implementing Master Plan 2021

A Parliamentary committee has asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to immediately set up a monitoring unit to find out deficiencies in the implementation of Master Plan Delhi 2021.

The panel has also slammed the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry for not being in a position to oversee the development made under the Master Plan or visualising the proper future plan. The panel's observation comes in the wake of the fact that "DDA failed to collect data on the progress made by various stakeholders involved in the development of city infrastructure."

The panel wants DDA to devise and adopt an effective alternative method for speedy recovery of damage charges and apprise it the status within three months of the presentation of the report in Parliament.

The Public Accounts Committee has asked the Ministry and DDA to have members from the Master Plan and Policy Review Unit (MPPR), Master Plan Review Unit (MPRU) and the Master Plan Section for concerted coordination.

The panel has also noted with concern that, "1308.59 acres of balance land valuing Rs 205.45 crore is still not transferred by the DDA to its user departments due to non-preparation of detailed layout plan by the Planning Department and due to the encroachments."

Meanwhile, the Ministry in a written reply has clarified that only 690.61 acres of land, which is 0.9 per cent of the total land is with the Land Management Department and which is also in the process of transfer to the user departments.

The committee has recommended that the Ministry and DDA should urgently prepare the detailed layout plan so as to ensure quick transfer of land by the Land Management Department to user departments for various development purposes.

The panel has also noted that the outstanding damage charges on account of the unauthorised occupation of land increased by 80 percent that is from Rs 17.97 crore as on March 31, 2006, to Rs 32.43 crore as on March 31, 2010.