DTC blames DDA for delay in shifting Millennium Depot

NEW DELHI: DDA has not so far handed over actual possession of any of the three sites for shifting the 50-acre Millennium Bus Depot built on the fragile Yamuna river bed, DTC on Monday told the Delhi high court.
In its status report before Justice V K Shali, DTC’s Road Transport Authority has said DDA has “shown the area and location without providing any demarcation of the land”.
“As clearances for converting this land to a depot would take time, DTC has been given paper, titled as working permission, on the land in question without the demarcation, allotment or physical possession of the site,” the report, filed through DTC’s counsel Sumeet Pushkarna, said.
The Delhi Development Authority had earlier informed the bench that it will give around eight acres of land to DTC in Sarai Kale Khan area. DDA’s counsel had also said 20 acres of land in Rohini Phase-IV and portions of land in Karkari More in east Delhi will be given to DTC. However, DTC said the allotment is only on paper and it has not got actual possession of these sites.
“DTC will have to make an investment of over Rs 100 crores at the sites to convert them into a working depot. Thus, without having any clearances or available land use, the work may take time to begin,” DTC told the court.
DTC also indicated that the land in Rohini does not have any access road. The bench then asked DDA to hold meetings with all stakeholders to iron out the differences and arrive at a solution. The court has fixed August 28 for further hearing and also asked DDA to file its compliance report.
Earlier, Delhi government had told the court that it would take nine months to shift the DTC Millennium Bus Depot, at a cost of Rs 60 crore, ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Later, DTC had informed that it would vacate the depot by October 31.