from the Pioneer, New Delhi edition, September 03, 2002
http://dailypioneer.com/secon3.asp?cat=\city4&d=CITY
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Saigal to head BJP panel on changes in Master Plan
Staff Reporter/New Delhi
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Delhi unit Chief Mr Madan Lal Khurana on
Monday announced a committee to suggest changes in the Master Plan of
Delhi.
Former Chief Secretary of Delhi, Mr Omesh Saigal has been appointed
chairman of the committee and former Mayor Shanti Desai is the convener.
Other members of the committee include Leader of the Opposition in the
Delhi Assembly Mr Jagdish Mukhi, Nand Kishore Garg, Mr Ved Prakash Gupta,
Dr Ved Vyas Mahajan and Mr Devendra Singh Shaukeen.
The committee is likely to give in its report in two months to the BJP,
which in turn will make these suggestions to the Union Urban development
Ministry. The aim, Said Mr Khurana, was to regularise all the unauthorised
colonies built upto March 2002.
Blaming the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for the uncontrolled and
unauthorised development in the National Capital, Mr Khurana demanded a
judicial probe be set up to investigate the land mafia operating in the
city.
According to Mr Khurana the Union Urban Development Ministry had already
made decisions regarding the change in land use and of leasehold plots to
freehold. The Omesh Saigal Committee is to carry those decisions further
and suggest the required amendments in the Master Plan.
"Keeping in view the problems and practical needs of 40 lakh people
staying in 1,600 unauthorised colonies, there is no other option but to
regularise them," Mr Khurana said. He, added, that effective steps were
needed to curb the uncontrolled and inconsistent growth of Delhi in
future. "As DDA does not permit changes in land use, it does not allow
divisions among partners. In the absence of any prescribed rule all this
is being done through illegal channels," said Mr Khurana.