NEW DELHI: After L-G Saxena took serious note of reports regarding the non-organisation of the festival this year, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) granted permission to the Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan to hold the traditional event at its original venue, officials said. DDA’s permission to this effect has been conveyed to the organisers.
Following reports that the festival could not be organised due to lack of DDA clearance, the L-G directed that the matter be examined. It was found that the permission had been delayed due to a direction issued on November 28, 2023, by the Department of Forests and Environment—then under the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government—prohibiting the organisation of such events in the area.
It came to light that the DDA had been regularly granting permission to organise the festival till 2023 and had even facilitated the event in 2024, despite the AAP government’s order. However, the organisers this time insisted on a written permission, which was issued after the L-G’s intervention.
The L-G, who has personally visited the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki and the Mata Yogmaya Mandir over the past three years, took strong exception to the centuries-old festival being denied permission.
The DDA, acknowledging that Phool Walon ki Sair is a prestigious event symbolising Delhi’s heritage and communal harmony, reviewed the matter and granted conditional permission to ensure no harm is caused to the environment during the celebration. The decision, officials said, balances ecological preservation with the continuation of Delhi’s cultural legacy.
Even as the permission has been granted, Saxena has directed action against erring officials for their “unresponsive” approach. He reiterated that any official found acting against public interest would face disciplinary action.