Dwarka diplomatic enclave project stuck due to pending land acquisition case: MEA

No progress has been made in the diplomatic enclave project in Dwarka here in the last three years due to a pending court case related to land acquisition, the Ministry of External Affairs has told a parliamentary committee in a written statement.

The ministry said it has received requests for land allotment in the new diplomatic enclave from different embassies, according to a report by the parliamentary committee.

The Union council of ministers had on January 4, 2017 approved the transfer of 34.87 hectares of land from Delhi Development Authority to Land and Development Office under the Urban Development Ministry for the proposed new diplomatic enclave in Dwarka's sector 24.

There is an existing diplomatic enclave in Chanakyapuri area, however, a new enclave was proposed after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed the need for allotment of land for building offices of different diplomatic missions, international organisations, and embassies.

The parliamentary committee's report said India's global influence has increased in the last decade and there is a need for further enhancing its strategic reach.

The MEA told the committee that India is setting up new missions in countries where it does not have a resident mission.

The Union Council of Ministers had in March 2018 approved opening of 18 missions from 2018-21 in Africa. Of these, Indian missions in nine countries, including Republic of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Djibouti, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea and Cameroon, are now functional.