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PM orders changes in Delhi master plan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has directed Union Minister for Urban Development Jagmohan to make necessary changes in Delhi's master plan to accommodate non-polluting industries in the capital's residential colonies.

This was disclosed by Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Member of Parliament, in an informal conversation with rediff.com on Monday evening.

"Six MPs from Delhi along with Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Mange Lal Garg met the prime minister on Monday afternoon and drew his attention to the Delhi government's decision to close all small-scale industrial units operating from residential colonies in the capital. We asked him to prevent 2.5 million people from losing their jobs because of the inept handling of the situation by the Delhi government."

"The prime minister assured us that he would direct the Union urban development minister to do the needful. The government would also move the Supreme Court to seek certain clarifications in this regard," he said.

"We later met Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan and he has agreed to make the necessary changes in Delhi's master plan and redefine cottage industry," Malhotra told rediff.com.

According to him, Jagmohan has agreed, in principal, to change the definition of cottage industry and allow all non-polluting industries, which do not employ more than 10 employees, to operate from residential colonies. This will let more than 60% of the industrial units operating from residential areas off the hook.

Secondly, the government would find 4,000 acres of land in Delhi and declare it as industrial land and allot the same to those units that would have to shift out of residential areas. Jagmohan also promised to move the court to seek time for this purpose and direct the Delhi government to take action only against polluting units.

Asked if he condoned the violence unleashed by the industrial workers in the Capital today, Malhotra held the Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit responsible for this.

"The court order was clear. Only polluting industries have to be shifted out, but the government started sealing each and every unit forcing the industrial workers to come out on the roads," Malhotra said.

On the other hand, in a joint press conference held by Delhi Lt Governor Vijay Kapoor and Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, the two justified the action taken by the officials of the Delhi government and took shelter behind the apex court's order for their action.

Shiela Dikshit later held a meeting of her cabinet to take stock of the situation. She has also written to the prime minister seeking his intervention in the matter.

Delhi police commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma, at a press conference, said protestors had indulged in large-scale violence in various parts of the city and damaged property worth millions of rupees.

"In all, 35 incidents of violence were reported from various parts of the city. Eight buses, one railway engine and one fire tender were set on fire. Three policemen were injured and police had to resort to firing tear gas to disperse the violent mobs in at least two places," said Sharma.

Till late in the evening, there was no news of the Delhi police registering any case of rioting and no arrests have been made.

In the absence of buses, three wheeler drivers had a field day charging exorbitant fares from hapless passengers.

Fearing further flaring up of the situation, many schools have decided to close down for the next couple of days.

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