DDA prepares draft to amend Master Plan to accommodate fitness centres

The proposal will be tabled during the DDA’s meeting, which will be chaired by Delhi’s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, on Wednesday.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has prepared a proposal to amend the Master Plan of Delhi-2021 (MPD) and provide relief to owners of fitness centres in the city from sealing.

Once the proposal is approved in the meeting, it will be put in public domain for a period of 30-45 days for suggestions/objections followed by a public hearing before the amendment is notified. (HT image)

The proposal will be tabled during the DDA’s meeting, which will be chaired by Delhi’s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee had told the DDA and municipal corporations to seal fitness centres (including gyms and yoga centres) that have come up in non-commercial areas after August 12, 2008, which is the cut-off date as per the MPD. According to a senior DDA official, they have decided to remove this date, and put in place new regulations for fitness centres to operate from residential areas in the city.

“Fitness centres are listed in ‘other activities’ category. The proposal is to remove the cut-off date and make provisions to allow fitness centres on ground floor and basement on mixed land use road. But a final decision will be taken in the meeting on Wednesday,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

Once the proposal is approved in the meeting, it will be put in public domain for a period of 30-45 days for suggestions/objections followed by a public hearing before the amendment is notified. “The process will take at least two months,” said a DDA official.

Last week, housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri had assured owners of fitness centres that the MPD-2021 will be amended after a meeting with senior BJP leaders and owners of fitness centres.

“Fitness centre in residential areas is the need of the hour. People should have access to such facilities at walking distance. The plan is to regularise the existing centres and to put in place norms or provisions for new centres,” said BJP MLA Vijender Gupta, leader of the opposition in Delhi assembly and DDA member.

Meanwhile, fitness centres are still getting sealing notices from civic bodies. “We are living in fear of sealing. Many establishments have got sealing notices in the past few days. We have called a meeting of all owners of fitness centres, politicians and municipal officials on October 14. Though we have been assured that the MPD will be amended, the sealing notices must stop,” said Chirag Sethi, vice-president of Delhi Gym Association.

When contacted, member of the monitoring committee refused to comment on the issue.