Union minister Vijay Goel today launched 'Save Old Delhi Heritage' campaign to prepare a detailed plan to develop Old Delhi by bringing all private and state-run stake holders on a single platform.
The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs also rapped the Shahjahanbad Development Board, which comes under the Delhi government, for doing nothing to develop Chandni Chowk, which is home to several heritage havelis.
Addressing a press conference here, Goel said the Centre, Delhi government, municipal corporations and the Shahjahanbad Development Board were yet to devise some concrete plans to develop the area.
"Lakhs of tourists, including foreign nationals, throng Chandni Chowk. The place's despicable condition is creating a bad impression on the visitors. There is absolutely zero planning by the Centre, state, even the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), but with each having a set of different rules, it is difficult even for those who wish to safeguard the rich cultural heritage and work in this regard," the minister said.
Talking about the Save Old Delhi Heritage campaign, the former Delhi BJP chief said he along with resident welfare associations (RWAs) and traders will intensify the campaign through which he would bring all the organisations working in the heritage field and government agencies on a single platform for the development of the area.
"Havelis cannot be demolished or modified as per rules and regulations. A total of 551 havelis were notified. It is surprising that in some cases, even the owners of these properties are clueless about the notification. Most of these havelis (526) are located in Chandni Chowk itself," Goel said.
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