DDA not handing over sites: Delhi Govt to HC

 New Delhi: The AAP government on Friday told the Delhi High Court that Delhi Development Authorities (DDA) is not handing over sites for setting up ‘mohalla clinics’, saying it is impermissible under the master plan for the national capital and asked to wait till 2021 for the next plan.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao was also told by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that apart from the Delhi Development Authority various other local agencies, including Delhi metro (DMRC) and Jal Board (DJB), were also creating hurdles in setting up the clinics on land owned by them. 

The court issued notices to the DDA, Delhi metro, the Jal Board and other local agencies seeking their responses to the Delhi government's application by March 29, the next date of hearing. 

The Delhi government, in the application filed through its additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose, has said that 333 sites for which no objection certificate (NOC) has been received have been handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) to construct the clinics within three months. 

However, in respect of some proposed sites DDA has refused to grant permission saying “no specific land can be earmarked in the layout plan for those areas as norms for the same are not given in the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2021”, Ghose told the court. 

According to the application, DDA has also said that no land can be allotted for ‘mohalla clinics’ “without amendment in the MPD”. Delhi government has contended that the sites under DDA control were required for constructing temporary structures only and therefore, there was no need to amend the MPD. 

Not only DDA, but the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and DMRC were also not cooperating with the project work, the application has claimed.
 
While DMRC was not granting NOC to set up clinics at all the 86 sites under it which were identified for the purpose, DJB was not cooperating with the site inspections that are to be undertaken before finalising the land under it. 

DMRC was also not waiving the licence fees for setting up the clinics on the land under its control and the size of the identified sites fell below the standard norms, the application has claimed. 

The Delhi government has sought directions to DDA to reconsider its stand and make available the requisite land along with the NOCs. 

It has also urged the court to direct DMRC to waive the requirement of license fees payment. 

The application has been moved by the Delhi government in an ongoing PIL by NGO Justice for all seeking setting up of ‘mohalla clinics’ across the national capital to provide adequate health care facilities to the citizens.