Delhi to get bigger
The national capital just got bigger – by about 40,000 acres that will now be available for planned development. Realtors estimate that this can provide for additional 2.5 million housing units.
Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal approved and notified the Land Pooling Policy covering 95 villages of the national capital. The villages are spread over 70,000 acres. The urbanisation and infrastructure development will be the responsibility of the Delhi Development Authority.
The idea of land pooling has been on the table for over five years now. The issue has been shuttling between the DDA and the Delhi government for over two years, as the latter wants 10 per cent of the land to be allocated to it for construction of schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure.
Land pooling is believed to be a favourable idea for land owners, DDA, and the Delhi government. It will also make the Prime Minister's election promise of affordable housing for all by 2020 – a feasible possibility, at least in the capital city. With the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, notified for the national capital territory, residential projects cannot be cleared until developers have their paper work and approvals in place, making it safe for those who want to buy homes in Delhi.
AAP and its never-ending woes
The Aam Aadmi Party's woes are unending. The CBI grilled Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for almost eight hours on Thursday. The case was regarding a social media campaign, “Talk to AK”. The vigilance department of the Delhi government had complained that Perfect Relations, the PR company, was to be paid Rs 1.5 crore to organise the social media talk, in spite of the chief secretary's advise against it.
Even as party leaders and supporters claimed that the CBI had raided Sisodia's office and residence in an act of vendetta by the BJP government at the Centre, the investigating agency denied there was any search or raid, that they had just gone to clarify some issues in the inquiry that was underway.
AAP also accused the BJP government of misusing the agency.
And if that was not enough, infighting in the AAP took the form of some expressing anger over the alleged spending of money in five star hotels and upmarket farm houses of Punjab during the campaign there, and those who sought to silence such comments.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, however, did not get into any of these issues. He fired a new salvo at Lt. Governor Anil Baijal asking him to hold public meetings daily, as political leaders do, as many departments were directly under his charge. Kejriwal asked Baijal to address people's grievances concerning these departments.
Ramzan treat awaits!
During Ramzan, along with the citizens of the country, political parties also take part in iftaar, offering a huge spread and joining in the breaking of the fast by their Muslim friends and co-workers. But with much of the holy month behind, there has been only one major iftaar in the capital – the one thrown by Congress leader Salman Khursheed.
However, with Delhi Metro's heritage line now open, it is easy to hop off at Delhi Gate or Jama Masjid or Red Fort, and partake in the delectable treats that include sevaiyaan, kheer, dates and everything else available in rows and rows of shops outside mosques.
