Make Delhi people-friendly, says Naidu

NEW DELHI: Efforts should be directed at making Delhi "people-friendly" and the most beautiful and attractive city, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said today while asking that suggestions towards that end be sought from the people through the holding of town-hall kind of meetings.

Speaking at an event to mark the completion of 40 years of the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), the Urban Development minister asked its officials to ponder the ideas such as water harvesting, recycling of waste water, multi-level parking facilities, vehicle free zones, cycling tracks, pedestrian paths to make Delhi a people-friendly city.

He also said that one should nurture nature and culture for a better future.

Naidu lauded DUAC for proactively working on streamlining the Unified Building By-laws, which is being done after a period of over 30 years. He also complimented DUAC for its proactive initiatives in the case of the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone guidelines.

He suggested that DUAC go for e-approval systems even as he praised its efforts in clearing proposals within the minimum possible time of two to three weeks.

Meanwhile, amidst claims of rising intolerance in the country, Naidu asserted that the government will follow its development agenda without getting distracted by the opposition's hue and cry.

He added that nobody should glorify isolated incidents to obstruct the developmental process.

"It is unfortunate to see that some people are tarnishing the image of the country. They should know that they are hindering the growth of the nation," said Naidu.