BJP will redevelop the Walled City to restore its glory and develop it along modern parameters: Goel

·         Congress’ failure to redevelop Walled city proving costly for lives of residents

·         With CM as chairperson, SRDC proves to be a disaster

·         BJP will redevelop the Walled City to restore its glory and develop it along modern parameters: Goel

·         Goel visits Ballimaran building collapse site, extends condolences to family of victims

New Delhi, October, 9:  The Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel today slammed the Congress government in Delhi and the Congress MP and Union Minister Kapil Sibbal for completely ignoring the development of the Walled City.

Extending his condolences to the family of the victims, Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel who today visited the building collapse site at Ballimaran in the Walled City area said, “There is no point in indulging in blame game as the Delhi government always tries to shift the blame on the MCD. The fact is that because of the peculiar nature, history, legacy and rich cultural heritage of this area, there is need for exhaustive and holistic planning for complete redevelopment.”

Shri Goel, who has represented Chandani Chowk in Lok Sabha twice said, “The government has ignored the redevelopment of Chandni Chowk rendering thousands of dilapidated buildings dangerous for the residents, shopkeepers, traders and visitors in the area. Even the basic civic amenities have not been provided to the Chandni Chowk area.”

“One can see dangerous cobwebs of electric wires engulfing the by lanes of this area posing huge risk to common people. In 15-years the Delhi government has not been able to get underground wiring done in this area. The sewerage system is today non-existent here creating highly unhygienic condition in the Walled City. The entire area is sitting on a powder keg,” Shri Goel said.

The real question is about how the Delhi government has ignored the redevelopment of Chandni Chowk. It set up Shahjahanabad Re-development Corporation (SRDC) to take control of the development work being done by the MCD in the area. But, no redevelopment work has happened in the Walled City and the SRDC remains a powerless and toothless body.”

Thanks to the royal neglect of the Delhi government in the last 15 years, the walled city, particularly, Chandni Chowk, which was once known as the silver street and home to poets and musicians, has become a nightmare for the residents, shopkeepers and traders as well as the tourists.

Under the Delhi Master Plan-2021, the Delhi government had to provide fund for the implementation of project under Shahjanabad Re-development Corporation (SRDC) for the re-development of the Walled City and the MCD had to implement it. But, Congress’s confused decision-making and lack of political will have converted the project into a mess. As soon as MCD started implementing the projects, the Delhi government gave PWD the control of the project. The PWD has done nothing thereafter. About 900 Kataras and hundreds of buildings remain in dilapidated condition in Chandni Chowk area.

The result of this neglect by the Delhi government has been disastrous for people in the area. Ballimaran, itself, has seen several instances of building collapse killing many people- in July 2007, September 2011, August 2013, and October 2013.

The SRDC has been a saga of failure. It has done nothing to restore the glory of the Walled City. As the Delhi Chief Minister is the chairperson of the SRDC, she must explain the abject failure of the Corporation, which was set up to stall the re-development work by the MCD.

Shri Goel said, “The BJP, when voted to power, will re-develop the Walled City with the twin objective of restoring the old glory in consonance with the heritage status of the area and meeting modern standards of development. The Walled City will be saved from the desecration it has suffered at the hands of the Congress government and will become a major tourist attraction too.”