Closure of units: Repair shops, flour mills to stay

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday asked the Delhi government and the Union Urban Development Ministry to jointly work out a plan to ameliorate the problems of industrial units operating from residential areas.

He also directed the two to work out joint proposals for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in the Capital. The PM’s directions came at a meeting he had with Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Lt. Governor B.L. Joshi on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters later, Dikshit said that the DDA has decided to issue a notification exempting flour mills, dryclean units and scooter repair units from industries that have to shift out.

It was also decided that the Delhi government would file a review petition in the Supreme Court instead of the Union urban development ministry. “The court would be apprised of the ground realities in the petition,” Dikshit said. She added that the government would ask for three months time for shifting the industries. The court’s deadline expires on October 7.

Asked whether the 24 residential areas where 70 per cent industries exist would be declared “industrial”, Dikshit said that the urban development ministry has accepted the state government’s proposal in this regard.

A survey has already been ordered by the government to find out whether 70 per cent industries exist in these 24 areas or not. “There should be a flexibility of land use and it should not be frozen for 20 years by the master plan,” the CM said.

Urban development ministry officials, however, denied that any such proposal has been accepted. “It is for the SC to decide and not the Union government,” the officials said while refuting Dikshit’s claims.

The Union urban development minister has now convened a meeting of the NCRPB in October to explore possibilities of Delhi’s industries shifting to neighbouring states.

Plan of action

• PM asks Centre, state to study problems of industries in residential areas
• DDA to issue notification exempting scooter repair units, flour mills from shifting out
• Delhi government to seek more time from SC for shifting industries