Traders, NDMC officials indulge in blame game

New Delhi: Following two incidents of collapse in Connaught Place within a fortnight, local traders and officials of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, under which falls the capital’s upscale region, have entered into a blame game of sorts.

While a senior NDMC official put the put the onus of repairing roofs on the owners of structures, traders hold the corporation responsible for ensuring that the buildings are “structurally safe”.

The traders’ association claimed that the NDMC even stops them from carrying out repair or maintenance work of the shops and buildings in the area in the name of safeguarding “heritage structures”.

“They (owners) have to go through multiple processes. Under the Delhi bylaws 6.4.1, every property owner can maintain his premises by carrying out repair works, if required. The NDMC has put a stop to it. They ask them to get clearance from the Heritage Conservation Committee. The committee says only matters related to the outside structures should be referred to them. This process needs to be simplified,” said Atul Bhargava of the New Delhi Traders’ Association.

For the corporation, the repair and maintenance work of roofs are the responsibility of individual owners. A senior official also pointed out that the during the ambitious redevelopment exercise, which kicked off in 2007 with the 2010 Common-wealth Games in mind, the whole area was developed barring the roofs.

The redevelopment plan, which included only repairing and refurbishing front facades, pillars and windows, was completed in 2013, after missing several deadlines and escalation of cost to Rs 671 crore from the intial Rs 76 crore.