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In election year, East civic body promises three major projects under PPP model

Tuesday, 09 April 2013 07:43 administrator
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The Indian Express                        09.04.2013

In election year, East civic body promises three major projects under PPP model

Ahead of Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for November, the three corporations are busy announcing new projects.

East Municipal Corporation seems to have taken the lead by announcing three major projects recently. The corporation has selected three tracts of land in East Delhi, where it plans development projects under the PPP (public-private partnership) model. The civic agency has decided to appoint consultants to develop the three projects.

The three projects will be developed on the 1,950-sqm municipal property at Babarpur, 4,150-sqm property at toll tax office near Apsara border, and, the 895-sqm old zonal office complex at Anaj Mandi in Shahdara, respectively.

ANAJ MANDI

There is a municipal magistrate office at the site, along with various other structures. Most structures on the site are two storeys high and are dilapidated. Though the structures are permanent, they either need renovation or reconstruction. There are two open stairs for accessing the first floor of the site and both are in bad shape. The ground floor of the site has been abandoned. There is a urinal on the southern side of the site.

The corporation has undertaken macro and micro real estate assessments on the site and concluded that there is a potential for development at Anaj Mandi.

"We had two choices for the site. Retail development in the vicinity of the site as well as limited availability of land has forced people to park vehicles on the streets. This gave us the idea of developing Anaj Mandi as a retail hub and multi-level car parking facility or building a retail shopping complex on the site," East corporation Commissioner S S Yadav said.

After speaking to residents and consultants, the civic agency decided to develop the site as a retail shopping complex. One reason for picking the shopping complex is that a parking facility would not be able to utilise the commercial potential of the area. Another reason is that the access road is not wide enough. Thus, a shopping complex with an open parking facility at the front and back will be developed in the area, the commissioner said.

APSARA BORDER

This site at Apsara border is on the busy Grand Trunk Road on the Delhi-Sahibabad border. There are low-end residential buildings and industries are present on either side of the road. The site has a municipal corporation office, a temporary shade as part of a proposed driving school and some other utilities. The area is being used as a parking lot by three-wheelers.

There were two demands for this site. Since the site is easily accessible, it is suitable for development of retail stores and commercial offices. There is limited retail development in the vicinity, which provides an opportunity for development. The second demand is to make a banquet facility on the site. Since there is no banquet facility in the area, a banquet hall, conference venue, and retail outlets could be built at the site.

After speaking to consutants and residents of the area, it was observed that the real estate potential of the site lay in developing a banquet, conference, and retail complex. The site will attract major retail food and beverage and apparel brands. "The nearby residential area does not have marriage gardens or halls for banquets. This provides an opportunity for a conference, meeting or exhibition space," S S Yadav said.

BABARPUR ROAD

The site of this project is Babarpur Main Road, with access from the Jaffarabad Main Road. There are low-end residential developments on both sides of the road, along with few retail outlets. There is a municipal office in the area, which is divided into two parts by a boundary wall. There are old buildings on the site, which is located near the Babarpur drain.

Apart from the municipal office, there are various structures at the site. All structures in the area are dilapidated. There is a toilet near the site. A lot of construction waste material has been dumped behind the toilet.

"After critical evaluation of the site and considering its real estate market potential, it is recommended that the site is suitable for development as a complex for commercial offices and retail outlets. The site will be able to attract big retail food and beverage brands as well as apparel brands. Commercial office spaces at this location are best suited for banks and other offices," the commissioner said.

REDEVELOPMENT

The three projects will be developed at the 1,950-sqm municipal property at Babarpur; the 4,150-sqm property at toll tax office near Apsara border; and the 895-sqm old zonal office complex at Anaj Mandi in Shahdara. All these sites have dilapidated structures, which will be redeveloped

SHOPPING COMPLEX

The civic agency decided to develop the site at Anaj Mandi as a retail shopping complex. There will be an open parking facility at the front and the back

Retail development in the vicinity of the site as well as limited availability of land has forced people to park vehicles on the streets. This gave us the idea of developing Anaj Mandi as a retail hub and multi-level car parking facility or building a retail shopping complex on the site

Commissioner, East corporation conference venue

After speaking to residents of the area and consultants, it was observed that the real estate potential of the Apsara Border site lies in developing a banquet, conference, and retail complex. The site will be able to attract major retail food and beverage brands as well as apparel brands

The nearby residential area does not have marriage gardens or halls for banquets. This provides an opportunity for a conference, meeting or exhibition space

OFFICE SPACE

The site on Babarpur Road will be developed as a complex for commercial offices and retail outlets because it is located near a residential area

The site will be able to attract big retail food and beverage as well as apparel brands. Commercial office spaces at this location are best suited for banks and other offices

 

DDA opens a window to freehold for pre-2001 flats

Tuesday, 09 April 2013 07:38 administrator
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The Indian Express                        09.04.2013

DDA opens a window to freehold for pre-2001 flats

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flat owners, who had been allotted flats from April 1992 to September 23, 2001, will now be allowed to apply for conversion to freehold, based on un-registered General Power of Attorney (GPA) and agreement to sell, under a liberalised policy for conversion recently announced by the Ministry of Urban Development.

According to DDA, conversion to freehold for flats allotted between September 24, 2001 and October 10, 2011, will be allowed on registered GPA and agreement to sell. "According to a Supreme Court judgment dated October 11, 2011, conversion will not be allowed based on GPA," a DDA official said.

"In both such conversions, an additional charge, apart from conversion charges, will be levied. In case of flats initially allotted on higher purchase basis from April 1992, conversion to freehold will be allowed on the above terms and conditions only if the applicant clears all dues, such as instalments, interest charges, penalty, if any," DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar said.

DDA claims it has been receiving several queries from people, regarding the liberalisation of policy for conversion on the basis of GPA and agreement to sell, announced by Ministry of Urban Development last week.

From 1992 onwards, DDA had allotted flats on freehold basis, but before execution of the conveyance deed in the name of the original allottee, many allottees had sold these flats on GPA and agreement to sell basis. "There are thousands of such cases pending with DDA as conversion for flats disposed of on freehold basis was not being allowed. All these allottees will now be able to get flats converted in the name of GPA and agreement to sell. But from 2001, GPA and agreement to sell had to be registered. This has been necessitated, as orders were issued by Delhi government," a DDA official said.

The application brochure, with details of the policy and conversion charges and surcharge on conversion charges, are available at DDA office — Vikas Sadan. Applicants can also apply online, officials said.

LIBERALISED

1. The liberalised policy for conversion, announced by the Urban Development Ministry last week, is being implemented by the DDA

2. For flats allotted between April 1992 and September 23, 2001, owners can apply for freehold conversion based on unregistered General Power of Attorney (GPA) and agreement to sell

3. For flats allotted from September 24, 2001 to October 10, 2011, freehold conversion will be allowed based on registered GPA and agreement to sell

4. For conversion to freehold based in the above two categories, an additional charge, apart from conversion charges, will be levied

5. For flats allotted on or after October 11, 2011, freehold conversion will not be allowed based on GPA, according to a Supreme Court order

6. In case of flats initially allotted on higher purchase basis from April 1992, conversion to freehold will be allowed on the above terms and conditions only if the applicant clears all dues, such as instalments, interest charges, penalty, if any.

 

NDMC to charge embassies for upkeep of surroundings

Tuesday, 09 April 2013 07:32 administrator
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The Indian Express                        09.04.2013

NDMC to charge embassies for upkeep of surroundings

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After several unsuccessful moves, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has finally decided to levy a service charge on foreign embassies located within its limits.

According to senior NDMC officials, the council has already received in-principle approval on the matter from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which is mediating between local agencies and the embassies. Officials hope that the NDMC would be able to collect the service charge from the coming financial year, once written approval from the MEA is granted.

"There is a chief protocol officer who deals with the embassies on behalf of the local bodies. Though the MEA has in-principle approved levying service charge on these embassies, the ministry is yet to give its approval in writing. We are very hopeful that we will be able to levy this service charge from the next financial year," an NDMC official said.

The decision would mean that foreign embassies, which do not spend on the maintenance and upkeep of surrounding areas, will have to pay the NDMC for its services.

According to the Geneva Convention, no foreign embassy can be charged a property tax. But, officials said, the service charge will be levied on a reciprocal basis, which means that India will charge only those embassies that levy a service charge on Indian embassies in their countries.

However, NDMC has been struggling for almost nine to 10 years to obtain written approval from the MEA. "We have communicated repeatedly with the ministry, but have not received any written approval to levy service charge. We hope to earn almost Rs 10-15 crore as service charge from the embassies," a senior official said.

NDMC officials said the service charge levied will be 75 per cent of the current property tax.

Presently, foreign embassies in the capital pay for electricity, water and sewage, but are not charged for services like garbage collection, street lights and road maintenance.

 
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