Master Plan of Delhi 2041 roll out by early next year, says senior official

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is making efforts to finalise the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2041 by the end of December so that the key instrument, which facilitates the comprehensive planning and development of the city, can be rolled out at the beginning of next year. 

The vice chairman of the authority Anurag Jain on Thursday said that the new Master Plan of Delhi, equipped with the GIS-based planning features digital mapping of services, land use and infrastructure, would be finalised by the end of this year. 

“With GIS-based plan, one will come to know about the exact policies or provisions of the MPD 2041 of a particular plot with just a mouse click. We have started working on this, which is likely to be finalised by January or February. It will be an ideal situation if we are able to complete it by December,” Jain said.

“Previously, the master plan’s implementation was delayed by 5-6 years. This time, our efforts are to complete the document by December so that we don’t need to extend MPD 2021; we should have MPD 2041 with us in January,” he added.

The DDA vice chairman was speaking at a webinar, organised by the DDA, to explain provisions and various policies in the draft MPD 2041 to the general public or stakeholders, which is in the public domain. People can send their suggestions and objections pertaining to the MPD 2041 to the authority by July 23 after which it will start public hearing on the same.    

Around 200 individuals including members of the resident welfare associations (RWAs), architects, urban planners, and developers attended the webinar. 

Jain further informed that the MPD 2041 would also contain service plans to ensure implementation of its provisions, which are being prepared in coordination with the agencies concerned. 

“The document should not remain as ‘intend’ but should be implemented. Therefore, emphasis has been given on the service plan this time. We are deciding deadlines for implementation and coordination after consultation with the agency concerned. We have started consultation with the agencies for the same. The service plan chapters will be synchronised with each other,” said Jain.

The DDA has also revised provisions for the plan’s mid-term review. Instead of five years, the agency will carry out an annual review.

“Previous plan –MPD 2021-- was notified in 2007 and mid-term review took place in 2012. The MPD 2021 was reviewed only once. Under the new arrangement, we have put a system in place to hold a meeting with all agencies in January to examine how many goals in the plan have been achieved and report it,” said Jain.