Redevelopment project: Experts ask govt to opt for public hearing
NEW DELHI: Urban planners and environmentalists in the Capital urged the Centre to go for a public hearing, as the government-owned infrastructure enterprise NBCC Ltd has prepared a blueprint to change the plan for the redevelopment colonies in the south Delhi with fewer trees being felled.
"Citizens want to know if the revised plans address all the issues raised on the streets. Good governance requires full transparency. Earlier projects were based on poor and plagiarised assessments," tweeted Kanchi Kohli an environmentalist.
She further said, "Delhi's citizens were on the streets wanting public audits, public hearings for the redevelopment of south Delhi colonies commercialising public land."
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had allowed the Centre to approach the appropriate authorities to seek necessary approvals for the revised proposals regarding re-development of six south Delhi colonies, including Sarojini Nagar and Netaji Nagar.
A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao had said that since the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HoUA) has reviewed the proposals to re-develop the six colonies, the Ministry or the NBCC – which would carry out part of the work – can seek the necessary approvals and the authorities shall consider it in accordance with law.
The court, in its interim order, said the Ministry or the NBCC shall also be at liberty to approach the Tree Officer of the Delhi government, if required as per the revised proposal, for tree felling permissions.
"Further action or steps shall be taken by respondent number one (Ministry) or NBCC as per the decision of the statutory authorities," the bench had observed.
The court had reserved its order after hearing arguments on behalf of all stakeholders, including the Ministry of HoUA, residents of the concerned areas and NBCC, regarding the redevelopment work in the six colonies i.e. Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Mohammadpur and Srinivaspuri.
