Multi-level parking at Defence Colony scrapped: SDMC to HC

The Delhi High Court has been told by the municipal corporation that it has scrapped its plan for building a multi-level parking-cum-commercial complex at Defence Colony here.
While South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) submitted it has scrapped the project, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) informed the court that the site in question belongs to it and has been handed over to the civic body for maintaining a green area.
In view of the submissions made by the SDMC and L&DO, a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul disposed of the Defence Colony residents welfare association's (RWA) plea.

The court, however, gave the RWA liberty to approach it again in case the site is used for any purpose other than what it was earmarked for.
SDMC had given the contract for construction of a automated multi-level parking-cum-commercial complex in April 2012 to a private company.
The RWA had challenged the same saying it will only add to the traffic problem in the area.

SDMC had given the contract to a private concessionaire on a Public Private Partnership basis for 35 years.
As per the plan, a commercial complex was proposed on the ground and first floor with a three-storey underground parking which would have space for 558 cars and 150 two-wheelers.

The proposed project had been put on hold by the high court in February last year after the RWA had opposed the same on the ground that SDMC did not own the land and also did not have sanction for the project.