Tejinder committee for liberal mixed land use

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) A Committee set by the Centre to suggest solutions to the problem of illegal constructions in residential areas of the capital and commercial activity there has suggested liberal mixed land use policy for 1,500 colonies.

In its report to the Union Urban Development Ministry today it also suggested creation of a Delhi Urban Regulatory Authority, a new Enforcement Agency under the Lieutenant-Governor and setting up of a Delhi Vision Group comprising professionals from various fields to suggest suitable actions for planned urban growth in the capital.

According to sources, it recommended regularisation of unauthorised constructions in residential premises of plotted area after payment of penalty, permission to construct one additional floor in cases where the family size had increased and zero tolerance for encroachment on public land.

Since the DDA had failed to provide adequate space for shops, it was felt that some mechanism had to be devised to protect shopkeepers facing the demolition squad, the sources said.

The committee suggested 3 types of actions in three different sets of colonies. While liberal mixed land use should be allowed for 1,500 lower middle class and middle class colonies, illegal commercial activity in other colonies should be regularised only after the owner gets permission from the Delhi Urban Regulatory Authority and the Resident Welfare Association.

In yet another set of colonies, the authority to issue such permission would lie with the RWAs alone, the committee suggested.

The recommendations were finalised after nearly two dozen sittings. The Committee received more than 15,000 representations and the members talked to hundreds of people before finalising their report.

The UDH Ministry had set up the Committee under former Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna following large scale protests over the court-ordered demolition drive by municipal authorities.

It was asked to submit its report in three months.

Town Planner Mohammad Shafi and Congress MLA S C Vats and state BJP chief Harsh Vardhan were members of the Committee.

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