[ad_1]
A village development plan and changes in the way in which the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is implementing the land pooling policy are among the demands of the residents of the villages in the wake of recent proposed amendments to the Delhi Development Act, 1957.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had made public in August the proposed amendments in the Delhi Development Act, 1957, as part of “pre-legislative consultation for the information of the public/stakeholders”.
A notice issued along with amendments invited comments and feedback for a period of 30 days from the date it was placed on the ministry’s website.
Rajbir Solanki, a resident of Baprola village in Southwest Delhi, said there is a need to oppose a land pooling policy that is based on consortiums.
Solanki, who is also the president of the Delhi Mool Gramin Panchayat — a collective of residents of villages in Delhi – said the amendments in the act do not benefit the communities living in the villages.
Solanki further said the gram sabha land should be used to provide necessities for the residents of the villages rather than taking it away from the villagers.
Solanki also said the act should make provisions for a village development plan that will benefit the residents of the villages.
“While the Master Plans for Delhi mention such village development plans, no such plan has been developed,” he added.
Dayanand Vats, a resident of Barwala village in northwest Delhi, said there are no health facilities in these villages.
“Land pooling is compulsory now according to the amendments in the act. Land will be taken away now in the name of urbanisation. But the DDA has no intention of creating better facilities in the villages,” he added.
Rajendra Singh Pawar, another member of the collective, said: “If land is taken away under the land pooling policy, arrangements need to be made for those who are losing their livelihoods because of it. The policy shouldn’t displace people from the villages.”
The proposed amendment states: “The Central government, if it so determines as being necessary, under special order, direct the Authority to declare and notify mandatory pooling of land in identified sectors…”.
“Once a sector is notified as eligible for land pooling, it shall be obligatory for all landowners of the sector to mandatorily participate in land pooling,” it adds.
[ad_2]
Source link