Complaint against proposed protest by Sanjha Munch / VP Singh (03/10/2005)

Commissioner, Delhi Police

Sub: Complaint regarding demonstration proposed outside DDA headquarters on 06.10.2005

Ref: Asian Age report (reproduced below) and prior complaints / requests

Sir, 90-day Public Notice for draft Master Plan (DMP-2021) was issued on 08.04.05 under s.11A of Delhi Development Act and Board for Enquiry and Hearing, required by Master Plan and Zonal Development Plans Rules, constituted. Over 7000 responses were reportedly filed and hearings are starting on 03.10.2005. However, the following news was published in Asian Age on Gandhi Jeyanti:

Experts question DDA Plan

By Our Correspondent

New Delhi, Oct. 1: The draft of Delhi Master Plan 2021, prepared by the Delhi Development Authority, has come under the scanner once again as various experts and NGOs have alleged that it lacks transparency. Experts claim that the DDA has failed to nominate an independent member in a committee set up to look into the suggestions submitted by public.

To build pressure against the "bureaucratic style" of the DDA and ensure transparency on the terms and conditions on which the Master Plan has been drafted, various NGOs working for urban poor and experts have come together under Sanjha Manch. They will hold a demonstration outside the DDA headquarters on October 6.

"Three months have passed since public comments have been given to the DDA. Signatories included MPs Kapil Sibal and Sandeep Dikshit, corporators, independent, experts and organisations representing unorganised colonies, slumdwellers, construction workers, homeless and the disabled, but DDA has not found it fit to respond to any of these," said a spokesperson from Sanjha Manch. Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh will also address the demonstrators.

"It is now over 20 years since the scheduled initiation of the Master Plan for 2001, and yet only six of the zonal plans have been prepared, and even these are not available for the general public. It has been specified in the DDA Act that zonal plans shall be made as soon as possible after the preparation of the draft Master Plan. Without the zonal and sub-zonal plans it is impossible for the citizens to really understand how the Master Plan will affect their lives," said Dunnu Roy of Hazard Centre.

Sanjha-Munch is centred on / same as Hazard Centre of one Dunu Roy, who has made to DDA a request endorsed by VP Singh to be on the Board that Rules require to be constituted from amongst members of DDA’s Authority and Advisory Council. With false claim of no progress on DMP-2021 Public Notice Dunu Roy / VP Singh are, in effect, cheating people to fake support for their demand for Dunu Roy on the Board even as that is not only illegal but also casts aspersions on “independence” and capability of, besides a dozen local / state / central government officials, Hon’ble LG, 3 MPs, 3 MLAs, 6 councillors and 5 non-official nominees including ones representing interest of labour and of commerce/industry, who are eligible for the Board. I seek steps to prevent the proposed demonstration and investigation into antecedents of Sanjha Munch including the following:

  1. Identities of “various experts” referred to in the item as being with / “under” Sanjha Munch in this cheating activity so that appropriate complaints can be lodged with Council of Architecture, etc.
  2. Veracity of claim of letters from MPs Kapil Sibal and Sandeep Dikshit, since implied support for ‘independent’ Dunu Roy on the Board assume seriousness with 3 of 7 Delhi MPs on Advisory Council and Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Urban Development examining the DDA till lately.
  3. Veracity of claim of letters from corporators, which likewise assume seriousness with 6 councillors on the Authority / Advisory Council, others and MCD officials on sub-groups for DMP-2021, and MCD Commissioner ex-officio member of the Authority and also member of the Board.

I have brought to your attention dubious activities of this lot of “various NGOs working for the urban poor” before. I enclose again the statement (enclosed with letter of 04.04.04 about illegalities in Pushta clearance) about their ‘event’ at World Social Forum and note on ActionAid-MCD night shelter (wrt complaint of 18.12.04) that refers also to their World Habitat Day ‘event’. Their next ‘event’ was recent ‘poverty-concert’, mentioned in my application u/s.41(3) to Hon’ble LG about procedural lapses in DMP-2021 Public Notice process (01.10.05), which also I enclose along with letter of 02.10.05 by others for an idea of the cheating that the proposed demonstration, etc, represent. If you are unable to take immediate action in this matter, please let me know.

Gita Dewan Verma, Planner

encl. statement (1p), note (2p), letter of 02.10.04 (1p), application of 01.10.04 (11p) – total 15p

cc: Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, wrt to application (dispatched by courier on 01.10.05)