New Delhi: In a bid to check the manipulations of `tent mafias`, Delhi Development Authority has revised its policy for allotment of marriage venues by putting in place certain mandatory conditions to curb booking malpractices.
The review measures were formulated to check the manipulation of bookings by `tent wallas`, also called `tent mafias`, despite a prevalent on-line system of booking.
In the wake of complaints regarding manipulation of bookings, a committee was formed by the DDA vice chairman Balvinder Kumar which reviewed the policy to ensure sufficient checks and balances with the twin objective of bookings not manipulated by tentwalas to their advantage and at the same time spaces are available in sufficient numbers to middle and lower income groups.
As per the new policy, all the spaces have been categorized and different modes of allotment have been proposed to be adopted by segregating spaces area-wise and location-wise.
This has been done to facilitate more availability of spaces within the affordable reach of the general masses.
In order to ensure sufficient checks and balances so that allotments of these sites are not manipulated, some mandatory conditions are being imposed.
Allotment will be done to only the blood relations like parents, brother, sister etc. Of the prospective bride or bridegroom and for this necessary documents will have to be shown.
The details of bride and prospective groom will also have to be provided at the time of booking itself which will be cross-checked with the actual wedding through surprise checks at the time of marriage or at the time of the refund of security deposit.
The amount towards booking will have to be deposited by
either the parents of the prospective bridegroom or groom or brother or sister (the first level of blood relations).
The credit cards and debit cards which will be used for payment, will be cross-checked from their account.
Apart from that an inspection, on the day of marriage, will be done by the concerned Junior Engineer to ensure that the site is being used only by the person who has booked the marriage venue and also for the purpose for which it has been booked.
Flying squad of the Vigilance Department will be constituted for surprise checks on such venues.
The payment structure, fee charges to be paid by allottees for different categories of sites is being decided separately.
As per the policy, the most sought after premium marriage venues, having area more than 2000 sq meters, will be auctioned on annual basis through e-tendering at the beginning of each financial year or any period of the year.
These spaces will cater to the higher sections of the society who can afford to pay competitive prices for the purpose.
Apart from that, 19 sites have been chosen for developing Kalyan Mandapams to be given for marriage purposes.
Earlier only 9 sites had been marked for Kalyan Mandapam in each zone. These Mandapams will be developed by DDA soon.
Besides that, 34 sites will be provided with steel trusses so that anybody hiring these spaces can put up a tent reducing the time required for dismantling and decoration.
The fourth category will be the 262 open spaces wherein one can use the same as per one`s requirement, decoration etc.
Under the revised parameters, only 46 sites will be auctioned and 315 sites which are about 85 per cent of the sites can be used by middle class or lower middle class people and will have the advantage of Kalyan Mandapams or steel trusses.
