New Delhi: Delhi Assembly on Thursday passed a
bill which seeks to constitute a separate institution to
provide housing accommodation to lower income groups and slum
dwellers in the city, a move seen as an effort to wrest more
power from BJP-ruled MCD.
Currently, MCD`s slum and JJ cluster department has
the power to carry out all the developmental activities in
slum and JJ clusters in the city.
"A separate statutory body will succeed the present
Slum and JJ Department of MCD to tackle these complex
issues," Urban Development Minister A K Walia said in the
assembly while replying to the debate on the Bill on the last
day of the budget session.
The Bill gives the city government wide-ranging power
to carry develop housing accommodation for residents of slum
and JJ clusters.
The Bill was passed in absence of BJP legislators as
they were expelled from the assembly yesterday for rest of the
session for obstructing functioning of the House. The party is
strongly opposed to the Bill.
As per the Bill, a separate body called Delhi Urban
Shelter Board will be set up to take care of housing needs of
the slum dwellers.
The board will have the power to prepare scheme for
removal of any JJ (jhuggi jhopris) clusters and make
arrangements for resettlement of the residents, the bill said.
Walia said Delhi has witnessed a very fast pace of
migration from other states which has added great urgency in
providing housing accommodation to low income group people.
He said a need was felt to improve upon schemes being
implemented by the Slum and JJ Department of the MCD.
"The bill was moved so that the city government can
play its role in improving living condition of people staying
in the slum and JJ clusters," he said.
The Board will have the Chief Minister as its
Chairperson. The bill also provides formation of Basti Vikas
Samitis for development of jhuggi jhopri clusters.
Congress MLAs Narendra Nath, Vir Singh Dhingan,
Devendra Yadav, Tarvinder Singh Marwah and several other
members participated in the discussion.
The Assembly also passed the Indian Stamp (Delhi
Amendment) Bill 2010 which seeks to plug loopholes in evasion
of stamp duty on e-transactions (demat transactions).
Walia while stating objective of the Bill stated that
with the expansion of business transactions and fast-growing
technology, new kinds of transactions like
derivative/non-derivative are being used in Delhi.
"A few transactions are being registered in other
states causing loss to the exchequer. Further there is no
provision of stamp duty on e-transactions (demat transactions)
till date," he said.
"It is proposed to bring these under stamp act so that
stamp duty could be charged on electronic transactions," he
added.
PTI
