BJP seeks removal of O zone tag from areas around Yamuna

NEW DELHI: BJP MLAs today met Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and sought removal of 'O' zone tag from residential areas around the Yamuna riverbed to ensure development of these areas.

Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel, who led the delegation of party MLAs, said that no developmental activity including construction of hospitals, dispensaries, community centres, and schools could be carried out even on the gram sabha land due to ban on construction activity in these areas.

"This is highly discriminatory with lakhs of residents living in these colonies and villages and justice needs to be done with them without any further delay," Goel said.

O zone is regarded as flood prone and hence there is an embargo on any construction in this zone by the DDA.

The party MLAs also urged Nath to issue directions to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to allocate adequate land in these areas for construction of schools, community centres and hospitals for the facility of the local residents as only DDA is authorised to allocate land.

They demnded that colonies falling in the Badarpur and other assembly constituencies should be taken out from the O zone category to allow the residents to carry out repairs in their houses as per building bye laws.

It was also pointed out that in the rural areas of Delhi, no building bye laws were applicable and it was only on January 17, 2011 that DDA notified the building bye laws for villages which is not feasible keeping in mind the fact that there is no clear ownership of land or layout plans prepared for these areas.

Nath assured the delegation that he would take whatever steps possible to resolve the issue and would direct the officials concerned to address these issues with immediate effect so that a workable solution could be found.