In push for Master Plan 2041, Delhi govt seeks fresh suggestions from DDA, MCD

The plan, submitted to the Centre in April 2023, is still awaiting a nod from the urban affairs ministry. A new master plan is critical to addressing issues such as infrastructure growth, pollution, traffic congestion, and housing shortages in the city

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday chaired a review meeting on the long-delayed Master Plan 2041, seeking suggestions from key departments to strengthen the proposed roadmap for the Capital’s future development.

These plans are designed with a 20-year perspective and serve as a comprehensive framework to guide the city’s planned and structured development. Delhi’s previous master plan, the MPD-2021, expired around mid-2021. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had formally approved the Master Plan 2041 on February 28, 2023, and submitted it to the Union housing and urban affairs ministry for notification on April 13. However, the Centre’s approval is still pending, stalling implementation for over three years.

The Supreme Court in October 2023 sharply rebuked central authorities, noting that the plan missed its April 30, 2023 notification deadline and expressing concern over the city “keeping everything in limbo”. Delhi’s previous master plan, the MPD-2021, officially governed urban development until it expired around mid-2021.

The plan is critical to addressing issues such as infrastructure growth, pollution, traffic congestion, and housing shortages in the city. Monday’s meeting was the first held on the Master Plan 2041 under the Rekha Gupta-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and was attended by cabinet ministers and senior officials.

An official present said the chief minister directed departments such as the DDA and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit detailed suggestions for improving the plan. “Departments have been asked to explain their proposals and justify them with specific reasoning so the government can evaluate the suggestions and act accordingly,” the official said, asking not to be named.

Once the suggestions are reviewed, the government will decide whether to re-submit the plan to the Centre or share selected inputs. “The course of action will depend on the nature and relevance of the feedback received,” the official quoted above added.

PWD minister Parvesh Singh described the plan as a long-term vision document for Delhi. “Today’s meeting with CM Rekha Gupta ji and fellow ministers was not just about a document — it was about shaping Delhi’s future with a balanced focus on population, infrastructure, environment, and employment,” Singh said in a post on X.

The Master Plan 2041 focuses on the regeneration of old areas (unauthorised colonies, urbanised villages), allowing mixed use development, providing affordable rental housing and small format housing, promoting walkability and non-motorised transport, development of green-blue (green spaces and waterfronts) infrastructure and corridors for sustainable development of the city. These plans are designed with a 20-year perspective and serve as a comprehensive framework to guide the city’s planned and structured development.