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India Gazette
5 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Delhi HC issues notice on AAP's plea against cancellation of state party office allotment
New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has issued a notice regarding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s petition challenging the 'ex parte' cancellation of its State Party Office allotment by the Directorate of Estates, along with the subsequent imposition of market-rate rent for the premises. Justice Sachin Datta has scheduled the matter for hearing on August 12. According to the plea, AAP was allotted Double Suite No. 514, VP House, New Delhi, as office space in its capacity as a duly recognised State Party under the existing rules and office memoranda governing government residence allocations. The petition alleges that the Directorate of Estates unilaterally revoked the allotment through an ex parte order dated September 14, 2024, without prior notice or consultation. The party claims it was informed of the cancellation months later, on January 17, 2025, via a letter from Directorate of Estates, which directed compliance with the order. However, AAP asserts that the actual cancellation order has never been officially shared with them to date. The plea also states that the Directorate of Estates (DoE) issued a bill on March 6, 2025, demanding Rs 6,60,361 as market rent for the petitioner's occupation of the allotted premises from September 14, 2024, to March 13, 2025. A subsequent bill, dated May 13, 2025, was issued for Rs 10,32,262, extending the market rent charges for an additional period from March 14, 2025, to April 29, 2025. According to the plea, the Circular issued by DoE on July 10, 2023, regarding revised flat rates for General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) across the country set the license fee at Rs. 5,420 per month for premises measuring 500 sq.m. However, the imposed market rent exceeds this amount by over 1,000 per cent, functioning as a penalty for non-compliance with the ex parte cancellation of the petitioner's lawful allotment. Furthermore, the bills dated March 6, 2025, and May 13, 2025, are legally unsound, as their basis--the ex parte Cancellation Order issued on September 14, 2024--was passed in violation of the principles of natural justice and the Allotment of Government Residence (General Pool in Delhi) Rules, 1963. (ANI)
Mint
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Govt reserves 4% central housing quota for employees with disabilities
The Centre has introduced a 4% reservation in the allotment of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) for its employees with benchmark disabilities. The new policy, announced by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, aims to ensure greater accessibility and equal opportunity in government housing. The directive, issued under the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, states that all central government employees with benchmark disabilities—defined in Section 34 of the Act—will be eligible for priority allotment of GPRA, according to a statement. These include individuals with conditions such as blindness, low vision, hearing impairments, locomotor disabilities, cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack injuries, and muscular dystrophy. The central government provides about 109,474 residential units under the GPRA scheme across 347 colonies in 61 cities throughout India, shows government data. So, under the new policy, about 4,379 government residential units across the country will be reserved for eligible government employees with benchmark disabilities. Under the revised policy, eligible employees will receive priority in both initial allotments and requests for change of accommodation over the general unified waiting list, the statement said. The benchmark disability is determined as per Section 2(r) of the RPWD Act, which defines a person with at least 40% of a specified disability, either measurable or otherwise, certified by the competent authority. Describing the initiative as a landmark step towards inclusive governance, Minister of housing and urban affairs Manohar Lala Khattar said the measure reflects the government's commitment to equal opportunity for all, aligning with the broader vision of sabka saath, sabka vikas. The decision is also part of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, which seeks to build a more accessible and barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities. 'The allotments will be processed through the government's automated system of allotment (ASA), and eligible applicants must place their bids every month on the eSampada website under the newly introduced Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category,' said Ravi Arora, joint secretary, housing ministry. 'A Unique Disability ID (UDID) card, issued by the government, will serve as valid proof of eligibility. Applicants are required to upload the UDID card to their profile on the eSampada portal, which will be verified by their respective ministries or departments before the application is forwarded to the Directorate of Estates,' said Arora.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Govt officials with disabilities to get 4% quota in housing pool
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on Thursday decided to extend a 4% reservation for persons with disabilities (PwD) in the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA), which will cover houses up to Type 5, benefiting officials from Assistant Section Officer (ASO) level to Director rank, it is learnt. The Directorate of Estates under the Ministry issued an office memorandum on Thursday applying the reservation. 'In order to promote the rights of People with Disabilities, laid down in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 2016 the Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has decided to adopt the reservation of 4% for the allotment of GPRA to eligible Government servants,' it said. Those Central government servants who have benchmark disabilities, as laid down in the RPWD Act, will be given priority for allotment of GPRA every month, it said. In order to be considered for accommodation, all government servants can participate in the monthly online bidding process carried out by the Directorate of Estates. 'The eligible PwD applicants would be given priority over the unified waiting list for both initial allotment/change of GPRA. The Unique Disability ID (UDID) card issued by the Government will be a valid document for proof of disability,' the OM said. According to government sources, when a government servant joins as an ASO, it takes about 15 years to be allotted a home due to the shortage of housing. As of now, the waiting period for some categories is up to 18 years, an official said. Some government servants who have disabilities are forced to stay in hostels and away from their families due to the lack of housing, the official said. Overall, the Directorate of Estates manages 1.02 lakh GPRA units across 355 locations in 61 cities.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Kasturba Nagar GPRA plan again fails Delhi Urban Art Commission test
In a setback to the government's flagship housing project in south Delhi, the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has, for the second time, rejected the revised proposal for Phase 2 of the Kasturba Nagar general pool residential accommodation (GPRA) redevelopment after raising concerns over inadequate planning, inefficient land use and poor compliance with its earlier observations. The decision is expected to delay the project further, said officials. The commission has directed the Central Public Works Department (CPWD)—which is executing the project—to revise the layout again, reducing road width and increasing green cover. 'The double road between the primary school and banquet hall appears unnecessary… the space thus released can be utilised to enhance the green cover,' DUAC said in its latest observations. The project is part of the Centre's plan to redevelop seven GPRA colonies across south Delhi. Of these, three are being handled by NBCC, while CPWD is in charge of four—two of them, Mohammadpur and Thyagraj Nagar, have already been completed. The remaining two—Kasturba Nagar and Srinivaspuri—are currently under construction. DUAC had initially approved the redevelopment plan for Kasturba Nagar in January 2020. However, officials said that the new version of the layout plan, submitted recently, included several unmarked modifications that did not address previously flagged gaps. The commission reiterated that the latest submission lacked clarity and remained 'incomplete and incomprehensible'. DUAC had earlier requested a clear layout, a comprehensive mobility plan with a detailed parking matrix, and clarity on movement patterns across the site. The revised proposal still fails to fully meet these requirements, it said. In its detailed feedback, DUAC pointed out that a dedicated road proposed for banquet hall access was an 'inefficient use of space', contributing to an increase in hard-paved surfaces. 'The double road between the primary school and banquet hall appears unnecessary as it occupies excessive space. It is recommended to remove the double road and instead provide a single, shared access road serving the primary school, banquet hall, residential towers, and the future senior secondary school plot. The space thus released can be utilized to enhance the green cover,' DUAC noted. Further, DUAC noted that the provision for air conditioning had not been adequately explained, and instructed that solar panels be integrated into the design at a height that allows for functional shading beneath them. Phase 2 of the Kasturba Nagar project includes an anganwadi, convenient shops, a coaching centre, a banquet hall, a podium, and a residential complex comprising 25 towers and 1,350 flats. The overall redevelopment spans 19.15 hectares, with over 3,500 housing units planned. The colony is bounded by Bhisham Pitamah Marg to the east, Chaudhary Chandu Lal Balmiki Marg to the west, and lies adjacent to the Sewa Nagar railway station and Barapullah elevated road in the north. CPWD officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
CRRI suggests fixes for 60 Lutyens' Delhi roads
At least 61 out of 79 avenue roads in Lutyens' Delhi area have been found to be in need for maintenance and rehabilitation, according to a survey report by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). The survey — carried out in January and February this year — included 79 avenue roads across five divisions in New Delhi. Issues such as cracks, distressed services, and weathering were found in the survey and the report has recommended milling and overlaying in case 60 crucial roads, such as outer circle of Connaught Place, Sansad Marg, Janpath, KG Marg, and Lodhi Estate, among others. 'CRRI has suggested several measures including correction of slope to prevent waterlogging, surface removal of road from 40-50mm up to 150-160mm in case of heavily damaged surface. We will be preparing project reports and issue tenders based on these findings. Roads with higher level of damage will be prioritised,' a senior official of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said. According to the proposal cleared by the council in August 2024, NDMC will spend ₹4.72 crore on the CRRI road study and improvement project. This does not include the cost of repairing the roads. In September, the council signed an agreement with CRRI for studying and improving the road infrastructure in New Delhi. Under the agreement, the CRRI is to help the civic body in structural evaluation of its roads, supervise the construction quality, and help in training of engineers and staff members and engineering divisions, an official said. According to the CRRI report, also seen by HT, eight roads were surveyed under the Connaught Place division, all of which have been found in need for rehabilitation measures. The poorest condition was found at Panchkuiyan road extension which was found to have longitudinal cracks, so the report recommended 90-100mm milling and 90mm overlaying. 'Road milling or asphalt milling is a process used in road construction to remove a layer of existing asphalt pavement. This process is essential for preparing the road surface for new asphalt paving. The overall level of the road does not increase at the end of the process,' an official explained. At Sansad Marg, the road found to be distressed near CP and cracks were observed on Janpath road, the report said. Notably, the survey covers the CP, R1, R2, R4 and R5 divisions. The R3 division include Netaji Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, and A to J Avenue in Netaji Nagar Colony. Many of these areas are undergoing redevelopment under General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) projects. In CP's outer circle, CRRI found cracks at approaches and muddle lanes while the KG Marg has 'hungry surface' with micro cracks. Hungry surface is referred to a condition with loss of aggregates from the surface or the appearance of fine cracks. In the R1 division, 18 NDMC roads were assessed and only four — Pandara Road, Purana Quila Road, Jai Singh Road and Bhagwan Das Road — were found to be in good condition and no intervention is required on them. The Janpath road from CP to Dr RP Road was found to be heavily cracked with slight depressions. 'Dr RP Road is heavily distressed due to NBCC constructions. Concrete deposits were also found and drainage needs to be improved,' the report stated. Similarly, in the R2 division, the Golf Link Colony road was found to be heavily ravelled due to weathering with potholes and undulated surface. The CRRI has recommended that the road level has to be reduced due to drainage issues. In the R4 division, 28 roads were surveyed and the maximum damage was found at Bordoloi Road. Further, patches and long cracks were found on the Sardar Patel Marg and 50-60mm milling has been recommended. Under the R5 division, three out of four roads including Mandir Marg, Kali Bari Marg and Pandit Pant Marg were found to be in need for rehabilitation while only the Talkatora road is in good condition. An NDMC official said that most of the roads in New Delhi have completed a lifespan of five years but the extent of cracks varies, depending on location, usage, heavy vehicle movement and local conditions like drainage issues.
