Trans Yamuna development body explores revival of socio-cultural centre project in east Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) The newly reconstituted Trans Yamuna Development Board has started exploring the possibility of reviving a long pending project to develop a socio-cultural centre in East Delhi on the lines of the iconic India Habitat Centre, official sources said on Thursday.

The project has been pending for more than two decades. However, the status of the land designated for the centre at CBD Shahdara ground is being verified by officials, sources said.

"The prime land plot assigned for the project is currently being rented for event organisers while the project that was started around early 2000 is on the back burner," they said.

The Board is likely to soon hold its meeting to discuss issues related to development of the trans Yamuna area, for which it was first constituted under the BJP government in Delhi in 1994.

"We are trying to get some funds this financial year through the revised estimates of budget 2025-26. Major projects will be taken up after proper budgetary allocations are made to the Board in near future," said a member of the panel.

The Board comprising 16 MLAs from trans Yamuna areas is headed by BJP MLA from Gandhi Nagar, Arvinder Singh Lovely. It was reconstituted last month with Lovely accorded the rank of a Cabinet minister.

The proposal for a socio-cultural centre at CBD Shahdara was recommended by the Board around 2000. The Delhi Development Authority had allotted 3.78 acres of land at CBD Shahdara to the Delhi government on lease for the project.

Subsequently, a consultant was appointed in 2002. The project was entrusted to Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation but not much progress could be made and it was put on back burner, officials said.

According to the Master Plan Delhi 2021, a socio-cultural centre per 10 lakh population in the city is desirable. The trans Yamuna area as per the Master Plan provision can have three socio-cultural centres, they said.

One of the three proposed socio-cultural centres already exist in East Delhi's Nirman vihar area. PTI VIT VIT RUK RUK