33K objections and suggestions received on MPD '41, DDA to begin hearing them Oct 18

New Delhi: A board of enquiry, for hearing and considering objections and suggestions of the public on the draft Master Plan of Delhi 2041, will begin its proceedings from October 18, and sessions will take place in November too, the DDA said on Friday.

In a statement, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said it has received 33,000 objections and suggestions on the draft Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2041 in the stipulated time period of 75 days. The last date to send objections and suggestions was August 23.

The board, set up on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, is headed by DDA vice-chairman Anurag Jain. The proceedings of the Board of Enquiry and Hearing will start from October 18, and it shall be conducted during October and November 2021. The hearings are to be conducted online and chapter-wise, the DDA said.

These objections and suggestions have been categorised chapter-wise and as per various other issues related to the development of Delhi.

There is multiplicity of one type of suggestions that have been grouped together to facilitate the public to present their views collectively to the board for taking a considered decision. Based on this, a schedule has been prepared and hearings shall be conducted accordingly, the statement said.

Presently, the programme for the board's hearing has been uploaded for the first week, which will cover 16 categories, and all suggestions or objections related to these issues will be heard.

Further, a programme for hearing of other categories of suggestions and objections will be uploaded subsequently.

In case the schedule and dates fall short of time, it will be further extended to give opportunity of hearing to all the concerned who have filed their objections and suggestion.

All organisations, stakeholders and persons who have submitted objections or suggestions will be given ample chance of hearing, and

they shall be informed about it through SMS and email (wherever email address has been provided).

From creating a "24-hour city'' with night-time economy, extensive transport infrastructure, affordable housing for all and healthy environment to checking unauthorised colonies and pollution — these are parts of the guiding principles the DDA has laid out for MPD 2041.

The vision document largely covers the policies of environment, economy, mobility, heritage, culture and public spaces, among others.