Civic body to lease land for events to avoid encroachment

To avoid encroachment on its land, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) is planning to give these for marriage or social functions. At present, agencies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) are also giving their vacant lands for such function to avoid encroachment as well as to generate revenue.

According to a senior official of EDMC, there are approximately 3,727 properties of the civic body and among them several pieces of land of the corporation are lying vacant or unutilised, wherein there is already encroachment or near chances of encroachment of its lands by antisocial elements. “To protect these lands, which are on prime locations and which many anti-social or land grabbers have intentions of grabbing, the EDMC is planning to temporarily allot these lands by way of open tender on the analogy of the DDA and DUSIB,” said a senior official.

A proposal for temporarily allotting these plots on lease for shorter period will be placed before the corporation’s standing committee next week for approval.

The EDMC has identified few such lands for temporarily allotment at Dilsad Garden, Raghubarpura, unutilised and demolished CTC block plots, demolished land ins-ide Usmanpur staff colony and Tahirpur. “Overall, 21 such properties have been identified for the purpose spread across the municipal jurisdiction of the EDMC,” he added.

As per the plans, these plots will be allotted for social functions to avoid encroachment or illegal grabbing as well as to generate revenue. Information on some more pockets of land or plots prone to be encroached or grabbed will also be collected from all municipal councillors and heads of departments.

If the proposal is approved by the EDMC, these lands will be allotted on temporary basis or stop gap arrangement which can be cancelled at any time by a notice of 90 days.