AAP Protests, Demands Government Land Be Used For Parks, Schools & Hospitals

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday held a peaceful protest outside the CPWD (Central Public Works Department) headquarters, demanding that vacant government land in Karol Bagh be used to develop parks, schools and hospitals. Led by Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi, the protesters later submitted a memorandum to the CPWD Director General through senior officials. Vishesh Ravi said Bapa Nagar, Dev Nagar, Reger Pura and Beadonpura are densely populated areas with around 50 lakh residents but lack basic public facilities, including schools, hospitals, parking and sports complexes. He said thousands of square metres of CPWD land in the area had been lying abandoned and in ruins and demanded that it be used to develop public facilities for residents.

AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi said, “The people who were living there until 2014-15 have since left, and the land has remained completely vacant ever since. The site has now become dilapidated, and anti-social elements are active on the building and the land. We have been following up with CPWD on this issue for around seven to eight years. We have continuously written letters, met officials several times and spoken to them over the phone on numerous occasions.”

He further stated, “We also conducted a signature campaign in the area and took out a yatra to mobilise people on this issue. However, when no action was taken even after all these efforts, we were compelled to come here today and organise this programme to submit a memorandum to the officials.”

Vishesh Ravi said that they had demanded the abandoned and vacant land be used for the convenience and welfare of the public, particularly the nearly 50 lakh people living across Bapa Nagar, Dev Nagar, Reger Pura and the surrounding areas. “We are hopeful that after our visit here today, the department will take our demand seriously and act on the request we have submitted. If that does not happen, we will consult the people in the future and decide how to take this issue forward,” he added.

He continued, “Whether it requires a public movement, an indefinite hunger strike or a fast, we will move in whichever direction the people guide us. However, we hope that after our visit here today, the department will certainly listen to our demands.”

Meanwhile, former Delhi Mayor and Municipal Councilor Mahesh Khichi said, “We have come to submit this memorandum because several thousand square metres of CPWD land in Dev Nagar has been lying vacant and barren for a long time. CPWD quarters used to stand there, where officials and employees lived, but these quarters have been lying vacant for the past 12-13 years. Today, they have become dilapidated and are falling apart. People are carrying out illegal activities there and spreading filth by dumping garbage and debris.”

Mahesh Khichi said, “Our demand is that these dilapidated and ruined quarters should at least be demolished for now and the land should be leveled. We have informed the officials about this earlier as well and have been meeting them and raising the issue continuously since 2017. Around 50 lakh people live in our area, but there are no facilities for them there.” He said that there was no hospital, school or sports complex nearby and therefore demanded that the land be brought into public use.

Mahesh Khichi added, “We have come to submit a memorandum to the officials with these demands. The officials say that they are working on it, but even after seven to eight years, they have shown no response and taken no action. Our demand is that this work should be completed as soon as possible. If the CPWD officials do not do so, we will turn this movement into a larger agitation.”

He concluded by saying, “We have the full support of the people and the entire area, whose demand is that this land be used in the public interest. Until our demands are heard, we will sit on a hunger strike and an indefinite fast.”