Ruling Congress unites against capital demolitions

NEW DELHI: Opposing ceiling of commercial establishments in residential areas and large scale demolition of unauthorised structures in the capital, Congress MPs and MLAs on Sunday demanded changes in building bylaws to legalise such constructions.

In a meeting at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office here, DPCC Chief R B Sharma, MPs Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and Krishna Theerath, Delhi Mayor Satbir Singh also demanded early implementation of Delhi Master Plan 2021 and V K Malhotra committee report that allowed 'mix land' use of properties in the city.

The leaders would meet Delhi Lt Governor B L Joshi and Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy to build pressure to stop the ceiling/demolition drive currently on in various parts of the capital.

While Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit could not attend the meeting as she was to meet Jaipal Reddy in the connection, MPs Kapil Sibbal and Sandeep Dikshit were not available for the meeting.

Meanwhile, the short winter session of Delhi Legislative Assembly, starting today, is expected to be stormy with issues like water-electricity and demolitions dominating proceedings.

However, Dikshit-led Congress government could be facing flak more from her party MLAs than the opposition members.  Probably anticipating this, the state government called a five-day session.

Criticism came from unexpected quarters when Assembly Speaker Prem Singh expressed unhappiness over Delhi government calling a short winter session and said more time was needed to allow every MLA to highlight problems faced by people in his constituency.

Assemblies in small states should work from 50 to 100 days in a year but Delhi Assembly would not even have 25 sittings this year, he said.

The state Assembly had a three-day monsoon session and a 16-day Budget Session before that.

MLAs cutting across party lines had also criticised the government, which just completed two years of this term and seven continuous years in office, for failing to give the members enough time to discuss people's problems.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi also criticised the state government for calling a short session, saying there would not be time to discuss the issues plaguing the city.

''We had given notices for discussing 14 such issues but permission was given only for taking up five matters -- water, electricity, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, law and order and corruption in MCD,'' he told reporters.

However, of the other issues like liquor policy, crime against women and rise of terrorist activities in Delhi that could not be formally listed in the business of the House, sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas would be top in its agenda for discussion.

The Sixth (winter) Session of Delhi Assembly, from December 19 to 23, would have 435 questions, five short duration discussions and three private member bills and resolutions.

Issues to be debated through short duration discussions were regularisation of unauthorised colonies; Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant; electronic power meters; law and order situation; and corruption in Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Issues to be highlighted through private members bills and resolutions were: role of Discoms; farmers whose lands had been acquired, and 'jhuggis'. The Assembly Secretariat had so far not received notice of any government bill.