Ahead of polls, centre to announce welfare measures for capital city

In the run up to upcoming Delhi assembly elections, Union Ministry for Urban Development is likely to announce Rs 500 crore sanitation package for civic bodies and some welfare measures for the people living in unauthorised colonies and slums. According to sources, a meeting of senior officers of the ministry and Delhi government was summoned on Saturday to chalk out strategy to initiate action on major issues of the city.

‘The meetings are going on with senior officers and some announcements may be made in next two-three days,’ said senior BJP leader. According to sources, the meeting was followed by the representation of Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay to Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday evening. 

Upadhyay submitted a memorandum demanding the minister to provide relief to the people of Delhi from nine major problems they are suffering since last three decades. Besides, the demand to regularise all the unauthorised colonies on ‘as is where is basis’ and allowing civic agencies to start development works there on the recommendations of the area MPs, he also demanded to extend the time limit of Delhi Special Provision Act-II 2011 till 2017. 

The other demands includes notification to declare 351 more roads for commercial or mix land use in Delhi, Rs 500 crore package to civic bodies for sanitation, direction to DDA to allot land for night shelters in the city. 'A lot of industrial plots are lying vacant due to sealing in previous years, the government should convert them into commercial plots for their proper utilisation which would generate jobs for youths,'said Upadhyay. He further demanded the Central government to intervene and ensure supply of Yamuna water from Haryana to Delhi through Munak Canal. 'DDA should allot land to Delhi Jal Board for solving the problem of water supply in Dwarka and West Delhi,'he added.