Direct DDA to allot 135 acres for Delhi's bus fleet: Min to LG

Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot today wrote to Lt Governor Anil Baijal, seeking directions to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to allot 135 acres of land to the city government to complete its bus fleet.
In the letter, the transport minister also cited the August, 2007 high court order directing authorities to increase fleet of buses to 11,000.
The move comes amid criticism by the opposition that the AAP government had not been able to add a single bus to the DTC fleet since it came to power in the city.
Gahlot said the city has 5,594 buses operating under the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster scheme.

As per May, 2016 report of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), Delhi needs 460 acres of land for parking of these buses, the government said.
"The available bus depot land with the Delhi government is 257 acres. Further, its bus depots are under construction over 68 acres of land. For parking of 11,000 buses, there is an additional requirement of 135 acres," Gahlot said.

The minister said the Delhi government had made payment of around Rs 90.5 crore, but the possession of these land has not been given so far.
"It is requested that necessary directions may kindly be given to DDA to allot us 135 acres of land so as to enable the Delhi government to complete its bus fleet to 11,000, preferably in south and east Delhi," the letter stated.

Earlier this month, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta had alleged that the AAP government has not added even a single bus to its fleet in its tenure.