The DDA has pegged its budget expenditure for the 2018-19 fiscal at over Rs 8,000 crore and plans to transform Delhi into a "world-class city" through various projects, which include the rejuvenation of the Yamuna. The budget, along with revised estimates for 2017-18, was presented before the Authority, the DDA's highest decision-making body, during a meeting held today at Raj Niwas under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

"The budget expenditure for the year 2018-19 has been set at Rs 8,032 crore approximately, projecting a growth of 67 per cent over the revised budget estimates for 2017-18 at Rs 5,295 crore," the Delhi Development Authority said in a statement. As part of its budgetary allocation, the housing authority plans to spend Rs 3,633 crore on houses and shops; Rs 765 crore on acquisition of land and payment of enhanced compensation; Rs 2,348 crore on development of land; and Rs 1,286 crore on establishment and miscellaneous expenditure, it said.

The Authority decided that key activities to be undertaken as part of the budget provisions, would be to work towards "transforming Delhi into a world-class city". Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for developing vacant areas available at Dwarka (200 ha), Rohini (259 ha) and Narela (218 ha) have been floated, the statement said.

Fifteen new development schemes and 14 new housing-related development works would be introduced; a rail-overbridge would be constructed at Narela, the statement said. "Construction of five socio-cultural centres - in Rohini, Dwarka, CBD Shahdara, Mayur Place and Netaji Subhash Place - is at a planning stage," it added. The DDA has decided that the budget would include rejuvenation and restoration of river Yamuna; upgrading of Vasant Udyan at Vasant Kunj; and development of 25 ha (62 acre) area surrounding the Sultangarhi Tomb Conservation Complex in Vasant Kunj.

"Three pilot projects on in-situ rehabilitation are under progress at Kalkaji, Jailorwala Bagh and Kathputli Colony," the statement said. Besides the presentation of the budget, a few other important decisions were taken during the meeting today. It was decided that "794 LIG/one-bedroom flats - 574 in Sector-34, Rohini and 220 flats in Siraspur would be allotted to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), since the DDA has sufficient stock of LIG flats, the statement said.

The Authority also approved the revised modalities for enhanced floor-area ratio (FAR) in planned commercial centres. "The enhancement of FAR was notified in February 2007, but the stakeholders were not coming forward to avail the enhanced FAR, may be due to the reasons that the process is very lengthy, cumbersome, time consuming.

"For ease of doing business, it was felt to make apportionment of the FAR simple, transparent and online, with minimum human intervention," the statement said. The Authority "ratified the modifications in the Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016 for simplification of forms and proforma and omission of bond(s)/affidavit(s) to usher in smooth operations in the building permit process and contribute significantly towards ease of doing business".

"Now in addition to other simplified procedure, self-declaration undertakings will be accepted instead of attestation by notary public/metropolitan magistrate on Rs 10 non-judicial stamp papers," the statement said.

Source: PTI