Delhi Master Plan 2021 ends DDA's monoploy

By notifying the 2021 Master Plan for Delhi yesterday, the Union Cabinet has in effect ended the Delhi Development Authority's monopoly of land acquisition as well as development of housing stock.

The new plan envisages private sector participation for land acquisition and housing in the capital. For creation of new housing, approximately 20,000 hectares, or 13. 3 per cent of land in Delhi, will be unlocked.

"DDA used to function as a regulator, planner as well as a promoter. It will now be just a planning body," said a government official.

Official sources added the master plan has ended all controversy leading to regularisation of farmhouses. "You can no longer buy a brand new farm house. You can buy one from the owner of an existing one," said a source.

The criterion for a farm house has been reduced from 1.5 acres to one acre and the cut off date for recognising a farmhouse is 1990.

In addition to this, the master plan envisages a green belt at the city's periphery. The total estimated area of the green belt is 11,000 hectares.

While the Union Cabinet approved the guidelines for the regularisation of 1,500 unauthorised colonies in Delhi""that have come up on government land as well as private agricultural land""it did not take any decision to regularise colonies inhabited by "affluent sections of society, like, Sainak Farms".

"The (Cabinet) approval would result in the regularisation of over 1500 unauthorised colonies that houses more than 30 lakh people. We are to approach the High Court with the revised plan for final clearance," S Jaipal Reddy, minister for Urban Development said.

The regularisation of unauthorised colonies on government land would entail a payment for the cost of the land as determined by the DDA as well as a penalty. In cases of colonies belonging to categories E. F and G, the Union cabinet has approved a rebate on the cost of the land.

On private land, there is no proposal to charge for the land, but one would have to make payment of development charges as determined by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.