New Delhi: The Delhi government has announced plans to create a staggering 600,000 job opportunities by embarking on an ambitious project to redevelop non-conforming industrial areas.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his determination to transform all 26 non-conforming industrial areas into recognized conforming industrial areas through a comprehensive redevelopment plan.
During a high-level meeting held on Wednesday, Kejriwal stated that the redevelopment of these non-conforming industrial areas was crucial for the growth and progress of Delhi’s industrial sector.
“Once the redevelopment is complete, these areas will be accorded the coveted Conforming Area status, providing a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. Recognizing the financial burden associated with formulating the layout for these areas, the Delhi Government has taken a proactive step by shouldering 90 per cent of the costs, with only 10 per cent of the expenses being borne by the industries,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Government has said that it is firmly committed to the revitalization of Delhi’s industrial landscape, fostering economic growth, and generating employment opportunities.
During the review meeting, officials from the Department of Industries explained that, as per Delhi’s Master Plan, the demarcation of land for residential, commercial, and industrial use is the responsibility of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
However, when the expansion of residential, commercial, and industrial activities took place in Delhi, the DDA could not keep up with the pace of development.
As a result, unauthorized colonies began to emerge due to the unavailability of residential colonies in Delhi. The land use in Delhi started to deviate from the Master Plan for other purposes. Industrial clusters were not created in a timely manner by the DDA, leading to the emergence of illegal or non-conforming industrial areas.
Currently, more than 70 per cent of the land is being used for industrial activities, known as non-conforming industrial areas.