NEW DELHI: Making another attempt to redevelop its crucial properties in the city, Municipal Corporation of Delhi has tied up with Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) to formulate a redevelopment plan for MCD flats at Minto Road, Model Town and Azadpur.
A committee, set up two months ago with members from both agencies, is examining the key aspects, and both organisations are likely to soon finalise a memorandum of understanding regarding development guidelines, said MCD officials.
“Right now, things are in the nascent stage, but a committee has been formed to work out the modalities, terms and conditions. These are prime properties of MCD, developed decades ago, and the existing condition of the staff quarters and flats constructed here is really pathetic,” an official said. “Since we are going through a severe cash crunch, redeveloping them on our own is not possible. Redevelopment would also be important to increase revenue generation for the civic body,” he added.
The plan will move forward only after an MoU is signed with HUDCO, the official said. HUDCO has also confirmed that discussions are in an advanced stage, but refused to make any further comment.
MCD spent around one and a half decades attempting to renovate these properties while also seeking revenue generation opportunities. A proposal for renovating the Minto Road municipal flats was last presented in the house in March 2024, but failed to receive approval and was postponed. The complex, dating back to 1950s, comprises 41 single-storey staff quarters spread across 14,123 square metres. Currently, 19 flats are occupied while 22 remain vacant due to their uninhabitable state.
These residential units, categorised under types 2 to 5, currently show significant deterioration, and according to the MCD 2024 blueprint, the plan entailed their demolition to construct five nine-storey towers. The projected cost was estimated at Rs 21.4 crore. The architectural division prepared an initial design for the development, encompassing approximately 13,500 sqm of plot space. Each tower was designed to be 32.7m high, including a 3m stilt section.
Previously, the erstwhile North MCD planned to convert the existing flats into office accommodation in 2018-19. However, the initiative remained unimplemented due to technical complications and the organisation’s financial constraints.
For the current proposal to proceed, MCD must obtain an approval for land use modification. According to officials, the location is designated as a district park in the zonal development scheme of Delhi’s master plan. The administration of these flats transferred from NDMC to MCD in 1958.
“Since the land use will have to be changed with the help of Delhi Development Authority, the matter was placed in the authority’s meeting in Feb. We are hoping that the process for inviting objections and suggestions on the change of land use is in process. This task can be completed anytime soon,” an official said.
