Delhi CM, Khattar meet, discuss development issues

In a first-of-its-kind meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta held a high-level discussion on Thursday to address long-pending urban development issues in the capital. The two-hour meeting included senior officials from the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) and the Delhi government, and covered plans related to housing, infrastructure, power reforms and land policies.

Khattar said several issues delayed for decades were now being taken up seriously, and assured that tangible relief for Delhi’s residents was on the way.

“Many issues in Delhi have persisted for the last 15–20 years, with no solution due to the inefficiency of previous governments. Since our sister Rekha Gupta became the chief minister, she has been continuously discussing solutions with her cabinet,” Khattar told reporters. “We discussed many MoHUA-related issues and matters pending in the power department. Soon, Delhi residents will get facilities, and problems will be solved.”

He added that key policies—including DDA housing schemes, land pooling, and converting leasehold land to freehold—would now be pursued in earnest. “We are going to formally bring in more policies such as those for DDA, land pooling, and turning leasehold land into freehold,” he said.

The meeting ran from 11am to 1pm, but officials did not disclose the specific points discussed or decisions taken.

Asked whether the current BJP-led Delhi government would implement the Centre’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)—which the previous AAP government had opted out of—a senior central official declined to comment. PMAY is a central housing scheme aimed at providing affordable housing to the urban poor through subsidies and incentives.

The official said only that the discussions aimed to ensure Delhi benefits from all MoHUA-run urban development schemes.

Gupta echoed the minister’s optimism, calling the meeting a “decisive beginning”. “Today, matters pending for years such as leasehold to freehold conversion, land pooling policy, and issues linked to urban development, land, and DDA were discussed. Policies to resolve all of Delhi’s issues will soon be made… and the people of Delhi will get relief. The bugle for the development of Delhi was sounded today,” she said.

Both leaders posted on X after the meeting, calling it a turning point in Delhi’s development.

“Important topics like affordable housing, modern urban transport, power sector reforms, and redevelopment of public spaces were discussed in detail and positively… It was agreed to work in coordination for early resolution of pending issues and speedy implementation of priority projects,” Khattar wrote.

Gupta added: “A detailed discussion was held with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar ji with the aim of providing relief to Delhi and finding solutions to problems pending for years. Today’s meeting is indeed a decisive beginning towards the all-round development of Delhi.”

(With inputs from Soumya Chatterjee)