Centre sets up panel to suggest ways of decongesting Delhi

The centre today announced the constitution of a high-powered committee to look into ways of decongesting the roads of the national capital and suggest corrective measures.

The 17-member inter-ministerial committee comprising secretaries of five union ministries, the Delhi government and ten other agencies, constituted by the ministry of urban development has been asked to prepare a report on decongesting Delhi.

The development follows reports in the media that highlighted congestion on the roads of Delhi for various reasons.

Urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu has taken a serious view of media reports highlighting traffic congestion on the roads of Delhi for various reasons and has sought corrective interventions by taking necessary measures to improve mobility in the national capital, on a priority basis.

Delhi, being the capital city of the country, has been facing a population explosion, mainly due to migrant workers.

The congestion on the roads has been mainly due to growing vehicular traffic, coupled with rising population.

Non-adherence to traffic laws, encroachments as well as a poor public transport system add to the woes of the capital.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within 30 days.

The committee will take into account all the technical, financial and administrative aspects on 'How to Decongest Delhi' and will submit the report along with proposed action plan by the first week of November 2014.

The committee, to be chaired by the secretary (urban development), Government of India, has chairman of Railway Board, defence secretary, secretary for road transport and highways, home secretary or their representatives as members.

The other members of the committee include: chairman of National Highway Authority, principal secretary of central public works department, government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, principal secretary for transport in the Delhi government, vice chairman of Delhi Development Authority, member secretary of the National Capital Region Planning Board, Delhi Police Commissioner, Delhi Metro managing director, director of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Policy and Engineering Centre (UTTIPEC), chairman of New Delhi Municipal Committee, municipal commissioner of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, municipal commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, municipal commissioner of East Delhi Municipal Corporation and managing director of Delhi Transport Corporation while director general of Institute of Urban Transport will be the special invitee.

Joint secretary (urban transport) and OSD (urban transport) will be the conveners of the high-powered inter ministerial committee on decongestion of Delhi.