Keshav Kunj gets new lifeline under Sarkar

With Naredra Modi all set to be the next Prime Minister of India, the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the local civic body are dusting their files to revive Jhandewalan Redevelopment Project to give a facelift to the Pariwar. The proposed project of erstwhile BJP ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was nipped in the bud around four years ago by rival Congress governments in Delhi and Centre.

‘The most urgent requirement is to shift six big gas godowns of Indane for which DDA had agreed to relocate to nearby vacant plot adjoining to the temple. Hundreds of devotes come here to pay their respect to the deity everyday and the number increases to thousands during Navratras,’ said Ravinder Gupta, Deputy Mayor of North DMC adding any fire in the area could prove to be a disaster. 

‘I have been writing for quite long but DDA never took initiatives to shift these godowns despite their written approval in 2010. It’s a classical case of development project halted by petty politics. But now Modiji will help us,’ he added. 

In the new political scenario Gupta met Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung on the issue who reportedly promised him a ground inspection of the area, himself.

As per the proposed plan the entire area measuring around 25 acre surrounding Keshav Kunj — the head quarter of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of BJP and famous Jhendewalan Mata Mandir was to be redeveloped. 

A joint survey of the site was conducted by then MCD commissioner and Vice Chairman of Delhi Development Authority on 22 August, 2009, subsequently on 29 October, 2010, DDA agreed to hand over the area to the MCD for redevelopment Based on approval of DDA, MCD sketches a plan of around Rs 165 core but here came the real politics. In the subsequent meeting DDA officers asked MCD to pay the cost of entire land to DDA as per the rates of Ministry of Urban Development before initiating the redevelopment project which was not possible for MCD. 

As per the conceived project the roads were to be made wider, redeveloped; old properties were to be redeveloped and place of gas godowns were to be developed as parking cum commercial complex besides several commercial complexes.