Curation Team
NEW DELHI: Will the draft Master Plan for Delhi 2041 be sent back to the drawing board? More than two years after Delhi Development Authority (DDA) submitted the draft to the Centre for notification and implementation—only for it to be put on the backburner — the Master Plan 2041 is once again in the spotlight. On Monday, Delhi govt held a closed-door meeting to review various provisions of the document, which serves as a blueprint for the capital’s urban planning and infrastructure development.
Sources said DDA gave a detailed presentation on the draft to chief minister Rekha Gupta, her cabinet colleagues, and senior Delhi govt officials. While more discussions on the document are likely to happen in the Delhi secretariat, sources said the officers were asked to submit their feedback on different aspects of the plan. “Depending on the nature of inputs received from various departments, we may consider sending our recommendations to the Centre,” said a source.
However, any recommendation from Delhi govt that alters the draft would require the plan — currently awaiting final notification and implementation—to be recalled. Following over four years of deliberations, DDA submitted the draft MPD 2041 to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs in April 2023 for final approval.
Sources said the document underwent several modifications even after submission.
While agencies and urban experts have been waiting for its rollout—which would enable major projects such as in situ slum rehabilitation, redevelopment of unauthorised colonies, new housing initiatives and conservation of the Yamuna floodplain—the renewed attention from the new Delhi govt has taken many by surprise.
An official, however, called the discussion with the CM and ministers “informal.” Sources indicated that the Centre may have deemed it wise for the new administration to be familiar with the plan’s provisions. The MPD 2041 was initially slated for implementation in 2021.
