Delhi government to create 6 lakh jobs through recognised conforming industrial areas: CM Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], June 22 : The Kejriwal government has set its sights on creating a staggering 6,00,000 job opportunities by embarking on an ambitious project to redevelop non-conforming industrial areas, stated an official press release.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed his determination to transform all 26 Non-Conforming Industrial Areas into recognised Conforming Industrial Areas through a comprehensive redevelopment plan.

To ensure the effective implementation of the Non-Conforming Industrial Area Redevelopment Project, CM Arvind Kejriwal conducted a comprehensive review during the high-level meeting held today. The meeting discussed the progress made so far, identified challenges, and formulated strategies to expedite the redevelopment process. The Chief Minister expressed his confidence in the project's success and reaffirmed his commitment to the growth and prosperity of Delhi's industrial sector.

According to an official release, 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, unauthorised 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, it said.

Industrial clusters were not created in a timely manner by the DDA, leading to the emergence of illegal or non-conforming industrial areas.

"In many areas of the city, entrepreneurs were forced to use residential land for industrial purposes to sustain their businesses and factories. Currently, there are several residential areas in Delhi where more than 70 per cent of the land is being used for industrial activities, known as non-conforming industrial areas," it read.

CM Kejriwal stated that the Delhi government is always ready to assist industrial associations in the redevelopment of these 26 non-conforming notified industrial areas.

"These industrial areas employ a significant workforce in Delhi and constitute a substantial portion of Delhi's GDP. The redevelopment of these non-conforming industrial areas will also create employment opportunities for thousands of youths. Additionally, the government will generate revenue through this initiative," it read.

The CM added that after being converted into conforming industrial area zones, all the security concerns will be eliminated, and businessmen and workers will be able to operate and focus on development with ease.

It is worth mentioning that these non-conforming industrial areas were not planned for facilities such as water, electricity, waste treatment, and fire safety based on industrial usage. As a result, several accidents occur due to inadequate infrastructure. Often, various government agencies are accused of extorting money from businessmen.

The entrepreneurs in these non-conforming industrial areas do not have sufficient documentation, leading to corrupt activities and no government department taking responsibility when incidents occur. To address this situation permanently, the Kejriwal government has taken the decisive step of converting these non-conforming industrial areas into conforming industrial areas.

"Currently, these areas are home to 51,000 units, providing livelihoods to thousands of people. However, despite this, the threat of sealing hangs over these non-conforming industrial areas. Despite the challenging environment, workers and manufacturers are compelled to work in these industrial zones daily," it read.

To provide a safe environment for workers and entrepreneurs in these areas, the government is undertaking multi-phase redevelopment.

Previously, it was said that the society of these non-conforming notified industrial areas would bear the entire cost of the redevelopment plan for their areas. However, even after several years, the redevelopment of non-conforming industrial areas did not take place. Now, the Delhi government has decided that it will bear 90 per cent of the total cost to prepare the layout plan of these industrial areas. Only 10 per cent of the cost will be borne by the industries to ensure their participation.

The cost will be shared according to the implementation estimate by the Delhi government for Phases 2 and 3. After the completion of the project, the label of non-conforming will be removed from these industrial areas. Worn-out and unsafe areas will be transformed into world-class industrial areas. After becoming conforming areas, the industrial units here will be able to easily obtain loans and supply their products worldwide.

The redevelopment of non-conforming industrial areas will be done in three phases: Preparation of Layout and Approval: A layout plan will be prepared, considering the requirements of MPD-2041 (Master Plan Delhi 2041) to ensure safe and upgraded facilities, by the panel of experts appointed by the Delhi government. This layout plan will be prepared in partnership with local industry associations or societies.

Redevelopment of Basic Infrastructure: The Kejriwal government will work towards making industrial areas green, clean, and better. Sewage, general waste treatment plants, drinking water supply, management of industrial waste, and improvement of roads will be undertaken. Developers will be engaged to provide basic infrastructure in these areas.

Construction of Common Facility Centers: Depending on the needs of the industrial area, various facilities will be available, including an experience centre, tool room, processing centre, research and development, accredited testing labs, training centre, business convention centre, raw material bank, and logistics centre.

The non-conforming industrial areas that the Delhi government is planning to redevelop include Anand Parvat, Shahdara, Samaypur Badli, Jawahar Nagar, Sultanpur Majra, Hastsal Pocket-A, Narela, Libaspur, Pira Garhi Village, Khayala, Hastsal Pocket-D, Shalimar Bagh, New Mandoli, Nangloi, Rithala, Swarn Park Mundka, Haiderpur, Karawal Nagar, Dabri, Basai Darapur, Prahlaadpur Bangar, Mundka Industrial Area South, Firni Road Mundka, Ranhola, Nangli Sakrawati, and Tikri Kalan.