SDMC to rent out heritage buildings

New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) plans to rent out heritage buildings, that are maintained by the civic body at present, for commercial purposes like restaurants, guest houses, banks, retail shopping centres, said civic officials

New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) plans to rent out heritage buildings, that are maintained by the civic body at present, for commercial purposes like restaurants, guest houses, banks, retail shopping centres, said civic officials.

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Officials said the decision, taken in the standing committee meeting of the SDMC on Thursday, is aimed at generating more revenue for the cash-strapped civic body.

BK Oberoi, chairman of the SDMC standing committee, said that the civic body maintains over a 100 heritage buildings. “A lot of money and resources are spent on maintaining it. The move will boost our revenue and help conserve heritage structures as well,” he said.

As per the proposal, applicants will have to pay a minimum reserve price of ₹1 lakh, and the annual maintenance and restoration cost of the heritage building will be borne by the licensee.

To start with, officials said the civic body will rent out one of its buildings in Mehrauli which is around 100 years old.

“This building has an area of 5,600 square feet and it will be rented out to a suitable bidder for ₹3 lakh per month... Once this pilot project is successful we will replicate the same for other such buildings as well,” he said.