2nd October is a day I think for introspection about peace, harmony,
freedom, democracy and other old-fashioned values with which my generation
grew up. But I had to spend today on things painfully different. Starting
with writing the following letters, through doing progressively more
despairing things to this mail now. I am getting tired of protesting, and
asking people to protest, this or that. Things seem to have got too badly
broke and need something else perhaps. I do not know what. Out of
ignorance, then, I shall once again sit outside Arjun Camp tomorrow 10
o'clock onwards, with plenty of paper ammunition this time, and wait for
the bulldozer that may or may not come... Please read...
[Both letters are on the letterhead of the Master Plan Implementation
Support Group, which is a synergy platform of citizens' groups from
villages, bastis, flats, service-providers. 15 groups are currently
members and listed on the letterhead. I am MPISG Planner]
LETTER TO DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (Vice Chairman) with copy to
Ministry of Urban Development, etc
(DDA and the Ministry were respondents in the PIL against DDA's illegal
scheme for 2000 HIG flats in green belt near our CNG station that we have
just 'won' inasmuch as the court ruled on 16.09.02 that the scheme DDA
started construction on in March 2002 was illegal. DDA is the sole
respondent in the Arjun Camp Court cases in which it had to reply end
September, etc. We 'won' on an interim application in which the court gave
us on 21.08.02 leave to approach DDA for clarifications on entitlements -
a step forward towards seeing the Master Plan as a framework of
entitlements rather than as a planning artifact - and directed DDA's
'immediate compliance')
Sub:
(1) Arjun Camp B9 Vasant Kunj: demolition threat for 03.10.02 despite
Court directions of 21.08.02 in CWP 5007 & 5009/2002
(2) DDA's letter CE(SWZ)/18(18)Comp/VK/2045 of 25.09.02 justifying illegal
scheme near CNG station, stopped by Court in WP 4978/2002 on 16.09.02
Ref:
My letters of 28.08.02 and 05.09.02 and Arjun Camp's letters of 30.08.02
Sir,
1. As mentioned in my letter of 28.08.02, on 16.08.02 Delhi High Court
issued notice to DDA in CWP 5007 & 5009/2002 filed by Arjun Camp residents
after DDA threatened demolition, offering sub-standard resettlement to
only a few. DDA had to respond by end September, but has not done so. In
view of repeated demolition threats, residents moved applications. On
21.08.02 the Court granted leave to approach you for clarifications about
entitlements, etc, and directed your 'immediate compliance'. Pursuant to
these directions in the matter of Arjun Camp, I wrote to you, also on
behalf of Rangpuri Pahari residents who also have been seeking the same
clarifications. On 30.08.02 Arjun Camp residents wrote to you. On 05.09.02
I wrote for further clarifications in view of MCD Commissioner's call for
review of slum relocation policy due to conditions in resettlement
colonies developed in violation of the Plan. I had also sent you copy of
my letter to JS(D&L) seeking clarifications about basis of resettlement
standards. DDA has not provided clarifications sought pursuant to the
Court's directions in CWP 5007 & 5009/2002 for DDA's immediate compliance
in the matter of Arjun Camp. Demolition will preclude compliance of Court
orders and amount to contempt.
2. DDA's letter dated 25.09.02 'justifies' your illegal scheme near CNG
station, purportedly in response to my letter of 08.07.02 to MoUD to stop
it. This letter was copied to Delhi Science Forum in view of its letter to
CGWA, which wrote to you its reservations about your scheme, and was
'converted' to DSF's WP 4978/2002. While disposing off the PIL on 16.09.02
the Court held your scheme to be in violation of the Act and Master Plan
and directed you to stop it and inquire into how such violation came to
pass. All that has happened since is a 'Public Notice', inviting, six
months too late, objections, etc, on land use change. Work on the site
continues. Arjun Camp residents are amongst those who have filed an
objection in response to the 'Public Notice' precipitated by WP 4978/2002.
Their contention is that pending clarifications about their housing
entitlements under the Plan, housing in violation of the Plan is not in
line with DDA's mandate. Not only does DDA's letter of 25.09.02 not answer
our concerns, it appears to amount to contempt of the Court judgement of
16.09.02 stopping DDA's illegal scheme near CNG station. It also makes the
'Public Notice' appear to be a 'formality'.
Court orders (besides DDA's mandate of development according to Master
Plan) require you, as custodian of the Plan, to demolish construction near
CNG station in violation of the Plan and to clarify/protect Plan
entitlements of Arjun Camp residents. DDA is doing the reverse, with no
discernible basis in anything in democratic society, and sadly around 2nd
October. One can only ask it not to do so.
Yours sincerely
sd/-
Gita Dewan Verma
B.Arch (SPA, gold medalist); M.Planning (SPA, gold medalist); PG
Dip-Research (IHS-Rotterdam, top rank); Dip-Training (DoPT)
Formerly: Senior Fellow (HUDCO-HSMI), Visiting Faculty (SPA, TVB Habitat
Studies), Consultant (DfID, IHSP, Nuffic, etc)
Currently: Independent planning researcher and writer and planning
consultant to citizens' groups
cc:
SHO, Vasant Kunj - with request to ensure DDA's request for police force
refers to Court orders mentioned above and is not in violation of law or
amounting to contempt.
Mr P K Pradhan, JS(D&L), MoUD - in continuation of my letters of 26.08.02,
etc
cc: (for intervention to stop precipitate action): PM, CM, UDM, Mr VP Singh
LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER
Sub:
(1) DDA's plans to demolish Arjun Camp JJ Cluster, while compliance of
court orders requiring it to clarify residents' Master Plan entitlements
is pending
(2) DDA's scheme for HIG flats in violation of Master Plan, purpotedly
started in 'enthusiasm' to follow PMO directions, continuing after stopped
by Court
Ref:
My 'open letter' re proposed demolition of Arjun Camp on 20.08.02
My letter of 12.09.02 re Mr Jaitley's defence of DDA's HIG scheme in court
Our letters to you through / on behalf of our hawkers' manch since Aug 2001
Respected Sir,
1. In my letter of 20.08.02 I had sought intervention against DDA's
demolition threat in Arjun Camp, whose residents have moved court against
DDA's attempt to clear their homes without notice, labeling them
'enroachments' after having used up sites meant to house them as per
Master Plan for up-marhet housing, offering priced sub-standard
'resettlement' in violation of the Master Plan to a fraction of them. In
applications filed on 21.08.02 the Court granted them leave to approach
DDA for clarifications about entitlements, directing DDA's 'immediate
compliance'. DDA's response on clarifications about Master Plan
entitlements sought pursuant to Court orders of 21.08.02, as well as DDA's
reply in the writ petitions is still awaited. And demolition of Arjun Camp
is again threatened tomorrow.
2. In my letter of 12.09.02, I had drawn attention to the fact that, DDA
has justified in its counter-affidavit in another matter a scheme for 2000
HIG flats it is building in the Green Belt in violation of the Master Plan
despite our objections and CGWA's reservations, on grounds of 'enthusiasm'
to comply with your directions regarding housing 'backlog'. (DDA is also
selling LIG flats lately constructed here in its HIG scheme, possibly in
the same enthusiasm and certainly in violation of its mandate based on
Master Plan). Disposing off the matter on 16.09.02 the Court stopped DDA's
illegal scheme for 2000 HIG flats, but work on the site is continuing.
As per the Master Plan, from which DDA derives its mandate, it is
settlements like Arjun Camp, hawkers, small industries, etc, that
represent Master Plan implementation 'backlog' and willful up-market
schemes of DDA in violation of the Plan that represent 'encroachment' on
public land. This is because a huge amount of public land has been placed
in DDA's custody (not ownership) with the express mandate of development
according to (only) the Master Plan. The court orders mentioned above also
require DDA to demolish its own illegal scheme going on in violation of
the Plan since March 2002 and clarify / protect Master Plan entitlements
of residents of Arjun Camp. Yet DDA is doing the exact opposite. That this
'grass-eating fence' style subversion of mandate by a public authority in
the capital world's largest democracy should be so brazenly displayed
around the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation drives one to
despair. For the Master Plan Implementation Support Group, which has got
only 'reprisal', not support in its tireless efforts in support of the
Master Plan from the custodian of the Plan (indeed, in its
counter-affidavit DDA claims ignorance of our existence!) the despair is
perhaps deepest. We solicit your intervention to stop this precipitate
demolition action that clearly has no basis in anything to be proud of as
a nation.
Yours sincerely
sd/-
Gita Dewan Verma
B.Arch (SPA, gold medalist); M.Planning (SPA, gold medalist); PG
Dip-Research (IHS-Rotterdam, top rank); Dip-Training (DoPT)
Formerly: Senior Fellow (HUDCO-HSMI), Visiting Faculty (SPA, TVB Habitat
Studies), Consultant (DfID, IHSP, Nuffic, etc)
Currently: Independent planning researcher and writer and planning
consultant to citizens' groups
Encl: Copy of letter sent to DDA Vice Chairman in the matter
cc: Vasant Kunj SHO and DDA Vice Chairman (for information)
Arjun Camp chronicle at
http://in.architexturez.net/+/e/000086.shtml