Sealing drive: DDA approves amendments, AAP dissatisfied

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday approved amendments to the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 (MPD), including uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residential plots, prohibition of restaurants, clubs and pubs in residential areas as part of mixed-use category.

The ruling AAP, however, condemned the decision saying: "The only way to immediately stop sealing is to bring in an ordinance."

Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a statement that the central government was "delaying" the ordinance "to help MCD extract maximum money out of traders".

He said the amended master plan will not bring any immediate relief from sealing as shopkeepers will continue to face the wrath till the Supreme Court accepts finalised amendments and that will take considerable time.

"Also, shops sealed during this drive can't be opened at least till then because of which affected traders have no relief. Proposal is all confusing and will end up promoting corruption and the corrupt.

"Proposal on restaurants will also add up to corruption and unemployment of thousands of people in this industry," said Bharadwaj.

According to the approved amendments, the anomaly regarding the differential norms for mixed use has been streamlined and uniform FAR shall now be permitted in all shop-cum-residential plots prevailing before notification of MPD-1962 and post-1962.

The FAR shall be as permitted for residential plotted development as stipulated in the MPD-2021.

The permissibility of basements for commercial or professional activities is being allowed in shop-cum-residential plots as already applicable for mixed-use or commercial streets, the DDA said in a statement.

Other service professionals like IT professionals, real estate, LIC agents, medical transcriptioners, matrimonial services etc. have also been permitted as part of permissible uses under mixed use.

The parking and other infrastructure services -- water, sewage etc -- shall be augmented by the concerned service providing agencies.

In case the parking cannot be provided within the plot, the concerned local bodies shall identify and develop the land for providing shared parking.

In the absence of any land for the parking in the vicinity, such complexes and streets shall be declared as "Pedestrian shopping street/areas".

The matter regarding notification of 351 roads for commercial or mixed-use under MPD-2021 is being expedited by Urban Development Department, GNCTD in coordination with the concerned local bodies.

The applicable charges like conversion charges, additional FAR charges, parking charges, compounding charges, penalty etc. are being synchronized based on locality as defined for circle rates.

The ambiguity regarding annual payment of use conversion charges for indefinite period has been rectified.

Godowns functioning from non-conforming areas, such existing godown clusters as well as stand-alone godowns shall be permitted with certain regulatory measures taking into consideration the traffic congestion, pollution, loading and unloading facility from vehicles.

--IANS

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