DDA approves ₹14,962 crore budget, clears advertisement policy

In a significant move, DDA approved the urbanisation of 48 villages currently classified as rural, bringing them within municipal limits to facilitate planned development and infrastructure provisioning.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has approved a budget of ₹14,962 crore for the financial year 2026-27 and cleared a series of policy measures, including the urbanisation of 48 rural villages and a new advertisement policy to boost revenue from its land and properties. The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena.

The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena. (HT)

In a significant move, DDA approved the urbanisation of 48 villages currently classified as rural, bringing them within municipal limits to facilitate planned development and infrastructure provisioning. Officials said these villages, identified by the land and building department of the Delhi government, are located adjacent to already urbanised areas or fall within zones earmarked for planned development.

“Their exclusion from municipal limits had created gaps in infrastructure provisioning and hindered development. With this approval, these villages will be declared urban under Section 507 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, enabling implementation of planning and infrastructure norms under the Master Plan for Delhi,” a DDA spokesperson said.

DDA also cleared a comprehensive advertisement policy to monetise its land parcels and built properties, including parks, sports complexes, golf courses and vacant land. Officials said the policy aligns with the Delhi Outdoor Advertising Policy, 2017, and provides for identification of advertising sites through surveys followed by phased e-auction of rights. Revenue from outdoor advertisements along main roads will be shared with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) through a memorandum of understanding, while revenue from indoor advertisements within DDA premises will accrue solely to the authority.

In the budget, DDA reported a revenue surplus of ₹2,112 crore in 2025-26 up to February 18, marking the third consecutive year of surplus after more than a decade of deficits. The financial turnaround began in 2023-24, when DDA recorded a surplus of ₹511 crore after years of losses.

Officials attributed the improved performance primarily to increased receipts from housing and property disposal. Housing receipts rose sharply from ₹665 crore in 2022-23 to ₹2,398 crore in 2023-24 and ₹2,963 crore in 2024-25. In the current financial year so far, housing receipts stand at ₹2,165 crore, with over 10,160 flats disposed of. Revenue from sports facilities also saw steady growth, increasing from ₹77 crore in 2022-23 to ₹105 crore in 2023-24 and ₹133 crore in 2024-25, and reaching ₹142 crore in the current year to date.

DDA also approved allotment of vacant land parcels to the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board for setting up Atal Canteens across Delhi. The land will be allotted on a licence basis at a nominal annual fee of ₹1 for up to nine years and may be used only for operating canteens without permanent construction.

It also cleared a policy for allotting built-up Gram Sabha properties in newly urbanised villages to Delhi government departments and civic bodies for community use. These properties, including community halls and public-use buildings, will be licensed at a token annual fee of ₹1 for up to nine years, with ownership retained by DDA.

To support the development of an education hub in Narela, DDA approved relaxation in premium and interest on delayed payments for land allotted to government universities in the sub-city. Land parcels have been allotted to seven universities, and the relaxation will be granted case by case to institutions that have paid the premium. The proposal will be forwarded to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for approval.

The Authority also approved development control norms for a multi-sports integrated stadium and sports complex in sectors G-3 and G-4 in Narela under the Master Plan for Delhi-2021.

Additionally, DDA cleared a change of land use of 19.63 hectares in Narela to transportation use for a metro depot linked to the Rithala–Kundli metro corridor. Public objections and suggestions will be invited before final notification. Another land use change in a land pooling area in Sector-8B, Zone P-II, covering 40.23 hectares, was approved following statutory public consultation. Amendments to transit-oriented development regulations were also cleared to allow plots of 2,000 square metres and above to participate and to permit a higher floor area ratio for residential use within transit corridors.