NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the body is already an authority and therefore setting up of Water Front Management Authority is “not possible.”
The green apex body had earlier sought response from the DDA on whether to set up a Work Front Management Authority on the cleaning of the river after Yamuna Monitoring Committee’s (YMC) suggested setting up of the Work Front Management Authority under the DDA.
“The suggestion of YMC is for setting up of Water Front Management Authority under the aegis of DDA. It is submitted that DDA already is an Authority constituted through a separate Act. Therefore, constituting another Authority under the aegis of DDA may not be possible legally as the constitution of the Authority may again require legislative provision,” the DDA said in its report, filed through advocate Kush Sharma.
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It said there are several stakeholders involved in management of riverfront namely Delhi Jal Board, municipal corporations, police and Irrigation and Flood Control Department, besides the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
“These organisations can access funds from their own budgets. While coordination between all these agencies is of utmost important, but any Society or other body may not be able to exercise the powers of these organisations nor may be able to access funds from the available budgets or these organisations/departments,” the land-owning agency said.
While the Delhi Development Authority is the land owning agency in the national capital, the body told the tribunal that the land owned by it along the riverfront cannot be transferred to any other agency.
‘Not possible to set up agency under agency’
The National Green Tribunal had earlier sought response from the Delhi Development Authority on whether to set up a Work Front Management Authority on the cleaning of the river after Yamuna Monitoring Committee’s (YMC) suggested setting up of the Work Front Management Authority under the DDA.
The agency, however, submitted that it is an Authority constituted through an Act and constituting another Authority under its aegis may not be legally possible