DDA’s plan to check land grab: money

While details of the scheme are still being worked out, senior DDA members confirmed that it would be “some sort of monetary incentive”. A senior DDA official compared the proposal with monetary rewards offered by the police for information on wanted criminals.

Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna suggested the idea of a “monetary scheme” during a meeting held at Raj Niwas on April 10, officials said.

With large swathes of land at its disposal, it has become nearly impossible for DDA to keep track of all its property. Some senior DDA officials said the Authority is not aware of how much land it actually controls.

“There is so much land, some in the remotest corners of Delhi, that we are not aware of. And mini-townships have come up on these lands over the years,” the DDA official said. “If such activities are not nipped in the bud, it leads to loss of revenue, and the added responsibility of ensuring that these unauthorised colonies get basic facilities.”

An Authority member said more than an incentive, there is a need for “some kind of disincentive that discourages people from setting up base on DDA land. So far, there is no policy regarding action if squatters are found using DDA’s land illegally.”

The official said the menace of encroachment has forced the High Court, too, to intervene on occasions: “There have been cases where the High Court has asked the DDA to demolish illegal construction on the Yamuna bank, for instance. Yet, the menace continues unabated.”

With an incentive scheme in place, “perhaps it will become easier to curb such activities before it is too late”, the official added.