10OSH
The Hindu, New Delhi, 25 March 2006
Slum removal now a DDA priority
Staff Reporter
Dwellers to be rehabilitated in EWS flats
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority will be removing slum clusters on a priority basis in the coming financial year and would rehabilitate the dwellers in houses made for economically weaker sections (EWS) of society. To this end, the Authority in its budget presented on Friday also stated that it would take up construction of 17,950 EWS flats in 2006-07 while another 3,500 such flats are expected to be constructed under the public-private participation scheme at Tehkhand.
Stating that this scheme would help in taking up of development works on a large scale, DDA Vice-Chairman Dinesh Rai said alternative accommodation would be provided to those displaced. It was also pointed out that all EWS flats would have an area of 25 square metres and cost around Rs. 2 lakhs each.
The DDA budget for 2006-07 also envisages increased acquisition and development of residential, commercial as well as recreational areas. In the slightly surplus budget, which projects the receipts for the year at Rs. 2868.16 crores as against the projected expenditure of Rs. 2,865 crores, a sum of Rs 930 crores has been kept for acquisition of land and payment of enhanced compensation in the coming year and it also envisages making major land acquisitions in Rohini, Bamnoli, Dwarka and Narela.
To meet the increasing demand for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional land, DDA would undertake massive land development programmes at Rohini, Jasola, Shahdara, Shalimar Bagh and Chilla Dallupura and major schemes would come up in Rohini Phase IV, V, Dwarka Phase I and II, and Bakkarwalla. For this, a provision of Rs. 1007.40 crores has been made in the budget estimates.
In the budget, a provision of Rs. 40.93 crores has also been made for the construction of Master Plan roads in Rohini Phase III, IV and V, Phase I and II of Dwarka, and for construction of an 80-metre road from G.T. Road Western Yamuna Canal in Narela. Besides, DDA has set aside Rs. 80 crores for construction of the remaining three clover leaves at the Noida More flyover. Another important aspect of the budget is that DDA -- which had paid Rs. 320 crores for the Metro Railway corridor from Dwarka to Dwarka Sector 9 -- has also set aside a sum of Rs. 275 crores for payment to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for taking the line further up to Sector 22.
Having developed about 4,585 hectares of green so far, DDA has provided Rs. 197.41 crores for development, maintenance and beautification of existing greens in the coming year. The year will also see DDA undertaking two major projects in Dwarka. While one is an International Convention Centre, the other is an Information Technology Park.
DDA Member (Finance) A.K. Patnaik said this is the first time that the Accountant-General (Audit) has complimented DDA for presenting "true and fair" accounts.