[mpisg] riverbed

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Photo-albums | DMRC-GNCTD IT Park | MCD-ActionAid Night Shelter | Demolition of religious structures

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STATUS: About 200 objections filed, construction continuing > IT Park show-cased at IITF (14/11/2004) > Demand for stopping construction, etc (08/12/2004, forwarded by President) > MCD-ActionAid Night Shelter (13/12/2004)) > DMRC moved court for directions for encroachment removal (reported, 23/12/2004) > Representation for exemplary demolition (26/12/2004) > Demolition of religious structures (29/12/2004)

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Prior engagements: | against wilful metro property development, in responses to Public Notices since 2002 | for lawful relocation of non-conforming uses from riverbed, in suggestions following court order of 03/03/2003 for clearance of all riverbed encroachments arising from some PIL, chronicled up to February 2004 | against selective / unlawful compliance through Pushta clearance, in representations since February 2004, included in responses

Core issue: Singularly symbolic of subversion of planned development - wilful development after wilful dispossession, unmindful of court orders and statutory imperatives, opening-up protected heritage space, etc

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• 13-16/10/2004: About 200 objections to IT Park filed | Letters to DDA / MoUD for action on prior responses, etc
• 15/10/2004: News report: "... By raising its own funds - primarily through loans from the Delhi Government - the DMRC has almost completed the first of the three buildings ...it is learnt to be in consultation with some major IT companies for leasing out the space..."
• 17/10/2004: Open Letter and requests to NCRPB, DUAC, CoA, Police, CVC and PMO
• 23/10/2004: News report: "The decks have been cleared for the construction of the Commonwealth Games village ... Supreme Court's refusal to grant stay on the construction of the Akshardham temple on the Yamuna river bed cleared all doubts ...
• 23/10/2004: Letter to ask for responses to IT Park Public Notice to be considered also "doubts" about Commonwealth Games Village | 24/10/2004: Letter to PS to UDM, with copies to offices of President, NAC and CVC, for proper hearing, etc
• 27/10/2004: News report: ""... Delhi's first Information Technology park being constructed with the aid of the Delhi government is nearing completion at Shastri Park in East Delhi, MNCs have begun vying for space...
• 31/10/2004: News report: "Property prices in Delhi are going up: ... Metro, multiplexes and malls, the Commonwealth Games, the entry of NRIs into real estate business and liberalisation in land disposal rules are also contributing..."
• 01/11/2004: News reports: | "world-class IT Park... Officials are now calculating the rentals which would be charged..." | "...information technology would the central theme of the Delhi pavilion... theme for the IITF this year will be "Information Technology and Agriculture."
• 03/11/2004: Article invited for Pioneer Saturday Op-Ed: "On September 18, with all starting to debate options of review petition, ordinance, enabling provision and whatnot to regularise industries, DDA issued Public Notice ...(IT Park)... construction, continuing regardless of Public Notice... Published, 06.11.04
• 06/11/2004: News report: "Land on the banks of the Yamuna was given to the forest department for "greening" which it promptly turned over to the children..."
• 08/11/2004: News report: "The proposal of setting up a Cyber City in Gurgaon has been killed... Controversy surrounding ...causing a loss of Rs 125 crore by seeking to handover 19.5 acres of "prime commercial land...for Rs 4 crore to DLF..."
• 14/11/2004: India International Trade Fair (theme IT and agriculture) inaugurated by President | President's speech "Successful models of effective communication to the farm community through the use of ICT accomplished in different states can be presented in the exhibition for emulation by farmers of different states" | Photographs of Delhi Pavilion displaying model of IT Park on riverbed and of vegetables hung from the ceiling
• 14/11/2004: Objection to GNCTD publication of Public Notice for industries in view of its role vis-à-vis Public Notice for IT Park
• 17/11/2004: News report: "Delhi government has decided to construct a Chhath ghat... on the west bank of Yamuna, south of Vikas Marg..." | News report: "...Poorvanchal votebank... East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit visited... ITO bridge... A.K. Walia... itinerary included ... ITO bridge..."
• 19/11/2004: s.11A Public Notice of 04/11/2004 for redevelopment (industries) published by MoUD | 23/11/2004: Responses, inclusive of request for prior disposal of IT Park Public, by Pushta cultivators and Pushta slum residents | 24/11/2004: Request for clarifications about metro property Public Notices in time to respond to industries Public Notice, especially with reference to exception of riverbed in the latter, GNCTD view of IT Park as industry, etc.
• 24/11/2004: News report: "... at our landfill sites ... will not allow the dumping of e-waste..." MCD commissioner... Secretary (Environment)... Delhi... admitted there was no law ... no figures on e-waste or any studies on how this waste is hazardous"
• 27/11/2004: Mid-winter demolition by MCD near Minto Road for MCD towers (some evicted were looking for rented accommodation in Pushta) | Related post: Aga Khan Award Ceremony at Humayun's Tomb, 27/11/2004
• 01/12/2004: News report: "Reacting to the government's proposal to amend the Masterplan to regularise industries in residential areas, the SC said: "...We will see whether the proposed changes conform to the law or not."
• 02/12/2004: Suggestion (alternative text for conformity with law) in response to s.11A Public Notice for industries, with continuing reference to letters of 14 & 24/11/2004 about IT Park Public Notice
• 02/12/2004: News report: "IT Park... Progress of work ...was reviewed ... at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister ... The meeting was told that work is at an advanced stage and will complete by early next year..."
• 03/12/2004: News report: "Shramdaan... to cleanse the Yamuna... children would remove environmentally hazardous plastic bags, garbage and pooja flowers ..."
• 06/12/2004: Response to s.11A Public Notice to allow commercial use in Mahipalpur Hauz in ridge area (identical illegality), with reference to letter of 24/11/2004, etc
• 07/12/2004: Letter about GNCTD's lackadaisical forwarding practices (with reference to its role in recent public notices, etc. | 18/01/2005: Letter to protest identical forwarding of letter of 07/12/2004
• 08/12/2004: Demand for stopping construction and disposal, after testing for conformity with law, of IT Park Public Notice before Public Notices for industries and Mahipalpur > Forwarded to Secretary MoUD for appropriate action as per President Secretariat's letter P1/D-77077 of 13/12/2004
• 13/12/2004: Inauguration in Pushta of MCD-ActionAid Night Shelter involving multiple Master Plan violations, contempt of court, violation of Art.14 of the Constitution, dubious partnership ... > Letters to Police for investigation u/s.34A, to MoUD for action against MCD, to DDA for consideration (u/s.11A process underway for the identically illegal IT Park) of earlier suggestion for lawful night shelter solutions (complaint to Police under investigation, cf letters of 12/01/2005 and 12/01/2005
• 23/12/2004: News report: "The court directed Lt Governor B.L. Joshi to treat Delhi Metro's petition regarding removal of encroachment as a representation and take a decision by the end of this month... In its petition filed through counsel Shiv Kumar, Delhi Metro had sought direction to the Delhi Development Authority and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to remove all encroachments around Shastri Park Metro station where some people had illegally erected certain structures including a mazar"
• 26/12/2004: Representation for exemplary demolition of IT Park at Shastri Park and stopping of all identically illegal projects in riverbed/ridge and as "metro property development" till disposal of PIL/Public Notices about them
• 28/12/2004: Mid-winter demolitions by MCD in name of court orders for riverbed > Letters to Police Commissioner, DDA Commissioner (Planning) and LG
• 29/12/2004: Demolition of religious structures in a stretch of Pushta across Shastri Park (rolling post with photographs, letters of 03, 12, 19/01/2005, etc))
• 29/12/2004: Request for disposal of IT Park Public Notice before issuing DMP 2021 Public notice in context of MPISG PIL about commercial space disposal
• 02/01/2005: Request for disposal of IT Park Public Notice before issuing DMP 2021 Public notice in response to Mall Road Public Notice, including for change of master plan public / semi-public to residential (metro property development)
• 05/01/2005: Request for disposal of IT Park Public Notice before issuing DMP 2021 Public notice in note to Parliamentary Standing Committee (in context of letter of 08/12/2004 in continuation of letters of January 2004)
• 16/01/2005: Reference to riverbed shenanigans in letter to GNCTD CS about role of "bhagidaari" in DMP subversion
• 17/01/2005: Reference to riverbed shenanigans in letter to CVC about subversion of safeguards in DMP subversion

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Gita Dewan Verma | MPISG Planner | updated till 19.01.2005