The Hindu              23.12.2013

NDMC plans fests and feasts to mark centenary year

Staff Reporter

A film and shopping festival are among a string of events that the New Delhi Municipal Council has planned for its centenary year celebrations. The functions will coincide with Christmas and New Year.

The NDMC is one of the oldest civic bodies in India and its centenary year celebrations this week are expected to be a big draw in the Capital.

Briefing about the events planned by the municipal body, NDMC chairperson Jalaj Shrivastava said: “Besides showcasing a refurbished Connaught Place, one of the country’s premier shopping centres, there will be something or the other for everyone.” Mr. Shrivastava said that Connaught Place will host the ‘Shop till you drop’ festival from December 23 to January 8 and feature “bumper offers and attractive discounts”.

Food and culture

A food festival from December 23 to 29 offering cuisine from across the country and daily cultural programmes are also on the list. The re-launch event of Connaught Place on December 30 will also feature performances by renowned singers and artists. A display of vintage cars and a kite flying festival are also on the cards.

Dwelling into the history of the municipal body which has important structures such as Parliament and Rashtrapati Bhavan under its jurisdiction, Mr. Shrivastava said that the NDMC was born in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Committee, two years after the British rulers moved the Capital from Kolkata to Delhi.

“In 1916, it was re-named Raisina Municipal Committee. In 1925, it was upgraded to a second class municipality,” he said.

As of today, the NDMC covers 42.74 sq km of area in what is also known as Lutyens’ Delhi.