Delhi CM kept in loop on master plan: Kamal Nath

Rejecting Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s public claims, Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday conveyed to her that the Delhi government was fully “kept in the loop” about the review of Master Plan (MPD) 2021. This review included changes made in the farmhouses policy and the ministry’s consideration of keeping Bengali Market outside the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ).

In a three-page letter to Dikshit, Nath took on the Delhi CM’s claims that “the Delhi government was not kept in the loop on amendments being carried out in MPD 2021”. He made it clear that the Delhi chief secretary was present in all three meetings of the apex committee headed by the DDA chairman to review the plan.

Taking the CM head on, Nath wrote: “I have been informed that three meetings of the apex committee have since been held. Delhi chief secretary has participated in each of these meetings… (where) 28 modifications in the MPD 2021 were cleared.”

On the new farmhouse policy, Nath wrote that the review was taken up under the “recently” cleared Delhi Laws (Social Provisions) Bill 2011, which allows the Central government to make special provisions for the NCT of Delhi till December 31, 2014.

“No comments or observations were received from Delhi Government in this regard. Finally after waiting for eight months for the Delhi Government to respond to DDA, the authority on August 3, 2012 approved the policy of regularization of existing farmhouses. The meeting was attended by Delhi urban development secretary,” the minister said.

Further, the DDA again in consultation with Delhi government approved the policy of low-density residential plots in the green belt and after due process of public consultation. “In the news reports, there is also a mention of taking Bengali Market area out. You have written to me on this subject as well and I would like to inform that the matter is under examination of the ministry,” Nath said.