North Corpn demands more control, opposes multiplicity of agencies

The North Corporation seeks control over water, sewage, heritage conservation and horticulture activities under its jurisdiction to end multiplicity of agencies hindering development work.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Yogender Chandolia and Standing Committee Chairman Mohan Prasad Bhardwaj met Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in this regard on Friday.

The minister assured that the demands will be considered, according to Chandolia.

Chandolia and Bhardwaj said the municipal corporations deal directly with citizens but other civic agencies also have a role in carrying out the various development functions.

“The municipal corporations usually face flak over incompetency and inefficiencies of other agencies,” said Bhardwaj.

He added that people confuse the services of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation with other civic bodies because there are multiple civic agencies in the city.

“To facilitate development work, the corporation suggested Naidu that functions related to bridges, development of drains, sanctioning of building plans, pollution and flood control be included under its obligatory duties,” said the North Corporation in a statement.

Chandolia and Bhardwaj demanded that building by-laws be simplified and the buildings which are in compliance with safety norms be regularised in the areas under the North Corporation’s jurisdiction.

Also, the building plan be passed in the extended lal-dora areas but the villages there be exempted from the building plan.

Regularisation of roofs

The leaders also said the extended roofs and shades of houses be regularised after charging a fixed amount.

Other demands included procedural relocation of jhuggi jhopris, empowering the corporation to regularise unauthorised colonies and allocation of funds to the corporation for development work.

The buildings in unauthorised colonies should also be regularised if they meet the safety norms and 50 per cent subsidy be provided to these colonies.

Also, the corporation demanded that drains in its area should be handed over to it and adequate funds provided for their maintenence.

The corporation said roads wider than 60 feet, which were taken over by the Delhi government, should be handed back to it.