Dissolve Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation: BJP

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Sunday demanded the dissolution of the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) and a full audit of its ten years of operations. He accused the previous government of operating the corporation “arbitrarily”. 

The SRDC, constituted in 2008 by then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, was tasked with promoting and conserving built and natural heritage in the Old City. Mr. Kapoor earlier stated that the government was planning to disband the SRDC and replace it with the Indraprastha Redevelopment Board. 

Mr. Kapoor, who is also the general secretary of the Chandni Chowk Nagrik Manch, said that for the past 25 years, Delhi’s governance has been run by “officers on deputation”.

“These officers have always viewed Chandni Chowk only as a Mughal-era city, never understanding or appreciating its commercial identity. Ignoring reality, these officers have repeatedly proposed plans to develop Chandni Chowk as merely a tourist centre, often persuading Chief Ministers to approve impractical schemes,” he said.