Responses
to Public Notice of 18.09.2004 for DMP modification to "regularize" metro IT Park and residential development on the riverbed
GITA DEWAN VERMA | Planner, MPISG Planner, in continuation of prior engagements against metro property development, unlawful riverbed/ridge projects, sub-standard resettlement, etc | “…the Public Notice is, in fact, for “regularization” of a wilful project illegally being constructed since last year... I object to this on grounds now of prior objections being pending... and NCMP implicit promise of ‘political will’ to ... not “regularize” inequity and wilfulness. ... I suggest scrutiny u/s.41(3) of legality and propriety of DDA decision to publish this Public Notice and that it be withdrawn and re-issued only after prior objections, etc, have been disposed off and action u/s.29 and 30 taken to restore the site to DMP2001 land use (‘Agriculture and Water Body’) from which change of land use ...is “proposed”... | Full Text
KASHYAP MANKODI | former R&R consultant to WB, in context especially of research for inputs into cultivators’ proposal | “…land use change in Shastri Park has already occurred, and construction work for the IT Park is already under progress… it is a travesty of due process, and an insult to the public to issue a notice inviting objections to the so-called ‘proposed’ change ... for considerations of logic, law, common sense, history, and propriety in procedures of development planning, the proposed land use change should not be allowed. Moreover, any construction that has occurred on the site ...should be as expeditiously and thoroughly removed, as other encroachments on the Yamuna waterfront have been, in the recent past... | Full Text
PUSHTA CULTIVATORS SETTLEMENTS | (Bela Estate / Moolchand, Tejpal Ki Bagichi / Pontoon Road, BelaGaon) in continuation of engagements through Pushta clearance | “... High Court ordered clearance of all riverbed encroachments... Proposal to “regularize” encroachment by DMRC is objectionable... Since April 2004... we have repeatedly suggested that alongside removal of all encroachments, ie, all uses other than related to DMP land use of Agriculture, the legal plan for riverbed, with proposals for developing agricultural use, be made... Commercial development on riverbed is inappropriate, whereas expansion of agriculture, etc, is consistent with development and environment law as well as NCMP promises for farmers, environment, water, etc... We hope for prompt hearing on this suggestion now... | with reference to their letters, such as of 12.04.2004 about mistaken demolition of some farmers’ homesteads in course of Pushta clearance, of [15.04.2004] (based on that of 05.04.2004) to suggest within ambit of Public Notice provisions expansion of riverbed agriculture after clearing all encroachments, of 29.04.2004 about anomalies in Pushta clearance, of [11.05.2004] following assurances from former Minister, etc, and of reportage in [Down To Earth, 15.05.2004]
WILDRIFT ADVENTURES | Private firm, in context of eco-tourism inputs into cultivators’ proposal: “…We run adventure tourism facilities ... have been testing models for eco-tourism ... community-owned eco-visitation … would be apposite ... for sustainable visitation on riverbed and ridge as well as for broad-basing tourism attraction of Delhi as a city. Cultivators’ communities themselves were inclined to pursue the idea and we suggested they make a proposal to government ... Letters were sent to Ministries ... response to which is awaited... commercial IT Park on the riverbed. We are unable to fathom the rationale ... in the hills... there is a certain inevitability about commercialization ... in Delhi there are surely no compelling reasons to locate on prime natural heritage asset like riverbed such incongruous development ... request consideration of our suggestion … before finalization of riverbed Plan ... or dislocation of cultivators | Full Text
SHIV NARAYAN | MPISG convener (villages), in continuing pursuit of DMP land policy rights to benefits of planned development on acquired agricultural land | “…This public notice is like that of 15.09.02 to regularize illegal Sultangarhi scheme in the ridge… 1700 local families objected … on 16.09.02 court ordered the scheme stopped and inquired into… to prevent identical illegalities … IT park scheme is identical illegality… court has issued notice on 22.09.04 in our PIL against other such schemes … all on land cheaply acquired for development for all according to plan, while mandatory planned development provisions for villages and poor are not being implemented…We suggest immediate inquiry as per court order and strictly stopping all unplanned schemes, at least in ridge and riverbed zones … | enclosing letter of 21.07.2004 requesting inquiry of Sultangarhi scheme and directions for stopping identical illegalities, etc
PUSHTA RESIDENTS | in continuation of requests made since start of Pushta clearance for lawful relocation options | “…For solving the slum problem DMP cheap plots are mandatory and backlog … instead of these, in areas around the riverbed, Metro’s East Delhi, Khyber Pass, etc, schemes are on… Besides DMP and court order, NCMP also calls for action against Metro encroachment like other encroachments, regularizing all those uses that can be regularized by equal and simultaneous process and prior development of DMP options for those needing relocation. The demand for legal relocation as per DMP instead of illegal eviction and schemes has been made… After this Public Notice… action against any other encroachment would be inappropriate. It is expected that at least till hearing of this objection, there will be no eviction now… | with references to letters from Pushta in course of clearance, such as of 04.02.2004 following Supreme Court disposal of a Pushta case with leave to make a representation to authorities, of 22.03.2004 for suspension of the drive till clarification about violations in it of law and policy and orders of court and EC, of 24.03.2004 demanding full survey lists, etc, of 27.03.2004 summarising issues raised in prior letters and seeking transparent and legal options for relocation, of [09.05.2004] following assurances from the Minister, etc, and to reportage in Down To Earth [15.05.2004], etc
ASHOK KUMAR | Dr A V Baliga Memorial Trust, working with Pushta communities prior to, through and after relocation | “...This proposal is objectionable in view of Pushta clearance in objectionable ways … an account of eviction / resettlement from Gautampuri-II including mention of metro related schemes / resettlement, is in an affidavit in a matter filed with support of planning and legal experts by a resident, working with Dr Baliga Trust … returned to his village, but others of Baliga Trust working in Holambi Kalan among those resettled still confront questions raised in his case… It is hoped that out of respect for the mandate of the people and NCMP, before making an illegal scheme legal by changing the law, government will satisfactorily address outstanding questions about the objectionable eviction of citizens… | enclosing complete [AdditionalAffidavit] of SLP mentioned
PUSHTA RELOCATEES IN HOLAMBI KALAN | in continuation of engagements against unlawful clearance / resettlement from Pushta | ”...It is obvious that this commercial development already going on in violation of DMP and court order for removal of all riverbed encroachments is illegal encroachment. Those being evicted in name of encroachment removal … kept raising, without being heard, questions about the manner of Pushta clearance … this objectionable proposal now raises questions about motives behind the eviction … Before illegal commercial development profits from the illegal eviction, the loss to citizens must be accounted for...” | with reference to letters about unlawful Pushta clearance, as referred to in responses from Pushta residents, and unlawful resettlement, such as included in Additional Affidavit enclosed in response of Ashok Kumar and, subsequently, based on that of 11.04.2004 about same price for different sized plots, temporary license and cancellations, share-money and DERC order, etc, objections to DERC order, etc
PUSHTA RELOCATEES IN BAWANA | in continuation of engagements against unlawful clearance / resettlement from Pushta | ”...Most of those resettled were sold plots in sub-standard resettlement scheme in Bawana, that has taken lives… In a similar situation of wilful eviction and resettlement to Bawana for a wilful scheme in ridge area, citizens had written a letter, forwarded for necessary action by CVC, President Secretariat and National Advisory Council… Appropriate action against illegal eviction / resettlement is expected of the government before proposals for illegal commercial development benefiting from it... | with reference to letters about unlawful clearance, as in responses from Pushta residents, and unlawful resettlement, as referred above as well as to MPISG letter of 07.07.2004 about deaths in Bawana
HOTI LAL | MPISG convenor (education), in continuing pursuit of DMP rights for education, infringed by unlawful development / attendant evictions and resettlement | “...In Pushta clearance even school buses till examinations were not provided, despite assurance given to court … Our letter of 07.07.04 after news report of death of children evicted from Pushta … has been forwarded for action by … CVC … President Secretariat … NAC … After dispossessing children without a care for their education or lives, in name of encroachment removal … land use change is proposed for an illegal commercial encroachment benefiting from Pushta clearance … We object to the history being written, belying NCMP promises… We suggest this Public Notice be withdrawn and this encroachment be cleared by Children’s Day … | Full Text
BADRI PRASAD | MPISG convenor (livelihood), in continuing pursuit of DMP rights to livelihood in informal and small-scale sector, being infringed by unplanned up-market development and attendant evictions / resettlement | “...We responded to Sultangarhi Public notice on basis of efforts since 2001 for implementation of DMP provisions for informal sector… assured on affidavit and at hearing in January 2003… After NCMP a note based on our efforts was added to response to other Public Notice for metro property development in 2004 … CVC has written in this matter on 10.09.04 … In Pushta clearance hawkers wrote to PM about problems faced… With DMP informal sector provisions in commercial development subject of two public notices, including one for metro property, a court matter and CVC intervention, we object to DMP modification for commercial use. We suggest that government apply itself … to implementation of DMP solutions … to fulfil NCMP promises... | with reference to letter of [07.03.2004] from hawkers evicted from Pushta (included in Additional Affidavit enclosed in response of Ashok Kumar) and NCMP-DMP note and letter of 23.06.2004 for its inclusion in Public Notice of April 2004 for metro property development
SAMAY SINGH | MPISG convenor (housing), in continuing pursuit of DMP right to housing for all | “...This Public Notice for IT Park, amidst Pushta clearance … a case in the trend of wilful dispossession for wilful schemes … that we have been long opposing – demolition in Rangpuri Pahari in 2000 for Sultangarhi scheme stopped by court … of Rajiv Gandhi Camp and Arjun Camp in 2003, in sub-judice matter about Janta housing site occupied by Sahara Restaurant of DDA scam …of Lalkhet in 2004 for mall and park scheme, on which court has issued notice… To our efforts in the ridge area are directly connected our efforts against unlawful evictions / resettlement for unlawful development on the riverbed ...After the court order for Sultangarhi scheme… this trend should have stopped… We suggest all unplanned schemes, including IT Park, be stopped till inquiry of Sultangarhi scheme as per court order and transparent disposal of objections to that Public Notice…” | enclosing invitation to their talk on Truth about Pushta on 30.03.2004, joint demand of 04.07.2004 for DMP housing solution in view of NCMP, and letter of 27.07.2004 to protest wilful dispossession for wilful development, forwarded by President’s Secretariat for appropriate action
MINOO VARMA | Architect, member of Vasant Kunj residents’ group on MPISG, in continuing pursuit of DMP rights to residential amenity in conflict-free balanced sustainable development | “...There is a striking similarity between this Public Notice of 18.09.04 and the one of 15.09.02 … to allow the Sultangarhi scheme in the ridge area …the court had stopped the project and ordered inquiry … was not conducted… identical illegalities have continued here as well as on the riverbed, etc. Under the circumstances, this Public Notice inspires no confidence about objections being taken seriously. The objections, nevertheless, are serious …Illegal projects in ridge area are making the water problem critical and those on riverbed… destroying the potential for its solution. …Delhi is poised to become Fatehpur Sikri. Whatever the benefits of IT Park they can hardly outweigh the costs to ecology and governance … urge DDA to seriously consider shifting the IT Park to a suitable site and also to inquire into the growing instances of illegal projects … | in continuation of flat residents’ [responses] to Sultangarhi and Standing Parliamentary Committee Public Notices
RANGPURI PAHARI RESIDENTS | in continuing pursuit, since 2000, of DMP rights | “... Exactly like this the Sultangarhi scheme started without land use change… Public Notice was issued without stopping work… demolition had been effected… In response to Sultangarhi Public Notice 1700 families had objected to DMP violating schemes for profit and called for mandatory DMP low income housing, etc… NCMP commitments also call for this… It is suggested that till court-ordered inquiry of Sultangarhi scheme and making its Public Notice process fully public, all wilful schemes like IT Park and wiful evictions and resettlement for them be completely stopped and that mandatory DMP development for the common man and the poor be carried out...
ARJUN CAMP / RAJIV GANDHI CAMP RESIDENTS | in continuing pursuit, since 2002, of DMP rights | “... In 2003 RG Camp and Arjun Camp … were evicted from B9 Park, with demand for DMP housing on proximous EWS housing site, occupied by Sahara Restaurant of DDA scam fame. On affidavit DDA VC said mandatory EWS housing had not developed since the poor could live in urban villages. … proximous village basti was also demolished… Now a club is under construction in B9 Park… all cases of wilful fancy construction on graveyards of wilful evictions belie claims and promises of changed government… It is suggested that all encroachments like Metro Park, Sahara Restaurant, illegal club, etc, be subjected at least to the same action that DDA goes around taking against its implementation backlog...
LALKHET OUSTEES | (some re-settled in Bawana), in continuing pursuit, since NCMP, of DMP rights | “...On 29.07.04, in disregard of two-month long demand for legal option consistent with DMP-NCMP, Lalkhet was demolished in Pushta-like operation for Metro-Park-like illegal commercial and park scheme, in a case against which the court has issued notice on 22.09.04. Like the Metro-Park this scheme continues with environmentally catastrophic illegal boring and digging and like the questions about Pushta, those about Lalkhet remain… DMP modification provisions are being converted to simple means for legalizing illegal schemes after illegal evictions. It is suggested… DDA scrap this proposal and address all such cases according to law...
RAJESH GUPTA | Resident, Bungalow Road: “...I have serious objections with regard to the Riverbed of Yamuna being tampered with. It shall prove to be hazardous for the environment and shall disturb the ecological balance... If this land use can be regularized, why are the industries in non-conforming areas of Delhi not being regularized...
DELHI SCIENCE FORUM | Petitioner in Sultangarhi case, in continuation of support to Pushta cultivators’ proposal |
MEENAKSHI DHOTE | PhD scholar, researching Delhi’s biodiversity |
SPA STUDENTS | in continuation of engagements on Pushta evictions and Industrial closure
POONAM PRAKASH | Planning educator, in continuation of responses to previous Public Notices for metro property development |