DDA to develop six world-class socio-cultural centres

Delhi could soon boast of world-class facilities like the Sydney Opera House as the DDA has decided to build six socio-cultural centres in the city.
These new centres would be developed within existing District Centres of Sector-11, Dwarka (10 acres); Rohini District Centre-II (11.25 acres); Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura (1.5 acres); CBD Shahdara (1.5 acres); District Centre Mayur Vihar (2 acres); and near Sultan Garhi Tomb, Vasant Kunj (11.25 acres), the DDA said today.
These would be on the lines of international facilities like the Sydney Opera House and John F Keneddy Centre for Performing Arts in Washington DC and built on a public private partnership model, the urban body said.

"The proposed centres would be centres of excellence for promotion of various visual arts like painting, sculpture and ceramics and performing arts like music, dance, and theatre.
"Each centre will have a specialised role in promoting and training people in visual and performing arts. Some centres may also provide training in culinary skills," DDA said in a statement.
These facilities would be developed, maintained and operated on PPP mode.

"DDA would be the facilitator and the operations would be managed by a group of eminent persons who would ensure that the centres are operated and maintained as per the principles agreed to, so that these do not get converted to 'baraat ghars'," it said.

DDA said it would also permit co-naming of these centres along with the name selected by the developer.
At present, Mandi House Complex is the only major socio- cultural centre in Delhi. DDA is also studying the details of important cultural hubs in the country like the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai and Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal.
To ensure that these centres are self-financing, 60 per cent of the total floor area could be utilised for commercial, retail, hotels and other remunerative uses as per the Master Plan provisions, it said.
"Revenue received from this would be utilised for operating facilities such as state-of-the-art auditoria, theatres, galleries, exhibition halls, recording studios, museums, which would be developed on the remaining 40 per cent of the total floor area," it said.

DDA said it will also hold discussions with similar institutions already functioning in the city, like the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Academy, Sahitya Kala Academy and other centres for performing arts for their inputs in this regard.