Dr A K Walia,
Minister for Urban Development, GoNCTD
Delhi Government Secretariat, IP Estate, New Delhi – 110002

Dear Dr Walia,

I am writing in continuation of previous letters and, while appreciating you would be pre-occupied with elections, hope you will spare time to provide clarifications sought as they have a bearing on court matters, also current.

  1. GNCTD (L&B Department) has issued a Public Notice for land acquisition for CRPF Camp in Mehrauli near Vasant Kunj. This is arguably in contravention of Delhi Master Plan and hence beyond jurisdiction. A copy of letter to Dy.Secretary (LA) is at Encl.1 and I request expediting of clarifications sought in this letter.
  2. On 03.09.03 you graced a function at Institute for Liver Sciences here. I’ve been writing to CMO since when a hospital was announced here to object to Plan violation involved, more strongly from 08.10.02 when Institute was announced to 23.07.03 after hospital boards were repainted. I request following clarifications:
    • (a) Date of and stated purpose in GoNCTD land acquisition notification for the site.
    • (b) Date of approval of land use change of the site by DDA, since GoNCTD is represented on the Authority, and the use permitted (since local hospital facility and world-class institute are different land uses).
    • (c) Basis of GoNCTD recommendation for allotment of this site for hospital in 2000.
    • (d) Basis of GoNCTD recommendation for allotment of this site for Liver Institute in 2002/2003
    • (e) How this land allotment recommendation is different from that for 291 cases under reconsideration (with details of Society of which Chief Secretary is head).
    • (f) Basis on which GoNCTD agencies (having layout sanction responsibilities under the Master Plan), especially DJB, recommended development on this site despite constraints of water, access, etc.
  3. I wrote on 28.06.03 to CMO to ask about GoNCTD/DJB approvals to DDA’s mega-housing in Vasant Kunj, in identical Plan violation as GoNCTD’s Institute and held wholly illegal in Hon’ble High Court judgement of 16.09.02. (You might recall on 19.09.01 also you were here for bhagidaari with those at function of 03.09.03 who did not permit me then to mention that and similar Plan violations). I had sought the same clarification while responding to DDA’s Public Notice after the court judgement, but CMO did not oblige. It somehow sent my letter of 28.06.03 to DDA (vide CMO/PGC/2003/20390 of 02.07.03). I request again clarification about GoNCTD/DJB stand about DDA’s illegal mega-housing and also sports club next to Liver Institute.
  4. I had filed objections to GoNCTD Public Notices for acquisition for resettlement in contravention of Master Plan. After being ‘heard’ on 24.05.03 I wrote to LAC (NW) and you (Encl.2). I request information about status of said acquisition and response to questions raised in my letters, connected to above as follows:
    • (a) Non-seriousness about Public Notice – only legal, inclusive and democratic mechanism for participation – is worrying. Passing of Co-operative Bill after admitting Public Notice under DD Act was overlooked was especially unfortunate, considering that a key accused in DDA scam processed the Bill in DDA and since those whose request to discuss instead the White Paper on slums was disregarded would have objected if Public Notice had been issued, as also in case of liver Institute, etc. I request clarification of GoNCT stand on Public Notice process in general and vis-à-vis Cooperative Bill in particular.
    • (b) Land acquisition and use in contravention of the Plan is at cost of planned uses. Most serious backlog on Plan targets is EWS housing to solve the slum problem (noted in 2002 report to which your Principal Secretary was party). Wasting land on unplanned uses, flourishing in bhagidaari, is what necessitates sub-standard slum interventions, night shelters, etc, also flourishing in bhagidaari. On 29.05.03 CM told me to wait two months for a White Paper that would better the statutory Master Plan solution for the slum problem. I request copy of White Paper on slums and basis of GoNCTD’s ‘anti-Master Plan’ stand.
    • (c) The two ends of my argument connected in Vasant Kunj on 03.09.03. While CM, yourself, our MLA and Councilor celebrated an undoubtedly illegal use of public land, slum citizens pursuing their lawful land entitlements here were evicted, having already been dishoused, in disregard of their matter being sub-judice. Innumerable appeals had been made to GoNCTD for support in their efforts, to no avail. Now that they have become ‘absolutely homeless’ and GoNCTD is patronizing NGO night-shelter initiatives, their chances for bhagidaari might have improved, about which I have informed them as their consultant. To help their case by due processes of law I request only early response to this letter.

Yours sincerely

Gita Dewan Verma / Planner