Centres sanctions ₹658 cr for 5 projects to decongest Delhi.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu recently announced that ₹658 crore had been sanctioned from the Urban Development Fund for five projects to decongest the national capital.

The five projects are construction of flyover and underpass connecting Mahipalpur, Aerocity, Airport and NH-8; and construction of flyover-cum-road overbridge near Narela for providing direct access from NH-1 to Bawana Industrial Complex.

A skywalk and foot overbridge near ITO for safety of pedestrians going to offices located in and around ITO will be constructed apart from building an up-ramp and widening of road near Kashmiri Gate and Nigam Bodh Ghat. A 1.6-km-long Grade separator at Rani Jhansi Road will also be constructed.

“The source of the Urban Development Fund is onetime charges for conversion from leasehold to freehold in properties leased by DDA,” Naidu told reporters.

A High Powered Committee on ‘Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi’ set up by Naidu had submitted a 126-page report, and its findings were released in June.

Naidu also approved the rates of premium for lands allotted for institutional purposes by Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The rate for land required for health services such as medical institutions, hospitals, dispensaries required by the Centre and the Delhi government has been reduced to a nominal charge of ₹1 a year.

Moreover, rates for land to the Delhi government for un-remunerative uses such as maternity centres, night shelters and orphanages etc have also been reduced from earlier rate of 50 per cent of ‘no profit, no loss rate’ to ₹1 a year.

Similar decisions were taken for rates for land for DTC depots, staff quarters for schools and hospitals of local bodies, land for roads, graveyards and crematoria, playgrounds and parks, water supply and drainage for DDA colonies, etc.

HBL