Delhi govt to hand over upkeep of industrial areas t o pvt players under PPP
Delhi industries minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told HT that the move addresses decade-long pending demands of industrial stakeholders who were ignored by previous governments.
'This move will transform Bhorgarh (Bawana part 2) into a model industrial zone — clean, safe, efficient, and pollution-free. For the remaining 10 areas, a project management unit (PMU) will be appointed for which a request for proposal and pre-bid meeting has already been done. The PPP approach has already proved its merit in Bawana and Narela, and now Bhorgarh and 10 other industrial areas will also benefit from world-class facilities,' said Sirsa.
The industrial areas to be maintained under the PPP model are Okhla Industrial Area Ph-3, Patparganj Industrial Area, Okhla Industrial Area Ph-2, Badli Industrial Area, DSIIDC Sheds Nangloi, Leather Goods FFC, Wazirpur Industrial Area, FFC Rani Jhansi Road, Okhla Industrial Area, and Jhilmil Industrial Area.
The key responsibilities of the concessionaire will include new road construction and long-term maintenance to eliminate potholes and surface wear, storm water drainage to prevent water logging and flooding, setting up and operating efficient lighting systems to eliminate dark zones and enhance security, development of green zones with walking tracks, benches, and user-friendly facilities, door-to-door waste collection, segregation, and mechanical sweeping, use of anti-smog guns, sprinklers, and road-sweeping machines to reduce dust and emissions, surveillance with CCTV, manned security, and proper maintenance of entry gates, boundary walls, and vacant plots, and ensuring functional pollution mitigation, said Sirsa.
The government's decision comes in the wake of reports that many industrial areas are not well maintained and lack basic facilities. Problems such as deteriorating roads, inefficient drainage systems, and inadequate basic amenities have been reported. These functions are currently being performed by a government agency which has faced criticism over the years for poor service.
Jitender Agrawal, president of the association of Bhorgarh industrial units, said there is no water supply and sewer system even though Bhorgarh is one of the key industrial areas of the city. 'Sanitation services are not available and we have to fend for ourselves. The roads were in very poor condition. We asked the lieutenant governor to help us improve the situation. After his intervention, the situation improved in terms of road conditions but more work remains to be done. If the government is going to run maintenance on PPP model, we are hopeful that the situation may improve soon,' said Agrawal.
Bhorgarh Industrial Area, located in north-west Delhi near Bawana, has 4,000 industrial plots and currently only 800 industrial units operate from the estate and many plots have remained underdeveloped largely due to infrastructure issues.
Mukesh Kumar, treasurer of the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Industrial Park Welfare Association, which represents the industrial units of Bawana industrial area, said that after the maintenance of Bawana and Narela industrial areas was handed over to concessionaires in 2013, both areas have witnessed significant improvement in road infrastructure, utility services, and cleanliness and security. 'The private company charges ₹20 per sqm maintenance charge from the industrial unit apart from some nominal charges for water and sewage,' said Kumar.
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