By A Correspondent :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has adopted a landmark step to amend the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) to render the capital Dhaka a modern, pragmatic and suitable city.
The DAP which was prepared earlier could not be implemented due to some flaws prompting the government to think about changes.
A 15-member ministerial committee headed by the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives was constituted on June 27, 2010 to scrutinise and amend the
DAP. Later, on January 22 this year, the said committee was recast with 16 members.
Various applications seeking to change the classification of lands were sent to the Housing and Public Works Ministry. Those applications filed by different individuals and organisations with RAJUK will be disposed off by the ministry concerned.
For scrutiny of the applications to be placed to the ministerial committee on DAP, a 7-member technical committee was formed on January 28, 2013. Such technical committee was also recast with 8 members on March 18 this year.
An 11-member sub-committee convened by Land Minister was formed with a view to assessing the recommendations of technical committee on the above mentioned applications to be placed before the ministerial committee.
The sub-committee which was formed on May 19, 2013 was abolished on June 4 this year to expedite the process of DAP amendment.
As many as 150 applications were decided in a total five meetings held by the ministerial committee so far.
On August 27 this year, the a Bangla daily publishing a report said, “The government itself violates DAP”. The report also said 47 housing projects in flood flow zone, water body and agricultural lands have been approved. Attention of the government authorities concerned was drawn to this news item. They said the news is concocted, baseless and motivated. In fact, the ministerial committee was formed to remove flaws of DAP and thereby reduce public suffering.
The DAP amendment has nothing to do with the approval of housing projects. These are two different issues. A committee formed under Land Development Rule 2004 (Amended 2012) is empowered to approve housing projects. An application for constructing a new housing project is approved if and when it is filed in pursuance of terms and conditions of the rules. The above newspaper report– saying the new “Structure Plan” adopted by the RAJUK to change many basic aspects of DAP in order to protect the interest of the land grabbers– is concocted and motivated. It is a continuous process to adopt new plans to ensure systematic urbanisation. Such plans are adopted by all countries across the globe in the light of the socio-economic, political and environmental issues. The urban policies are being changed and updated time to time keeping pace with scientific and economic advancement. The same is evident from the analysis of documents relating to urban policies of various countries. These policies are changed to make the cities well-planned and updated. The policies are changed to make those worthy of implementation and suitable for the time. Similarly, the Structure Plan (1995-2015) for Dhaka city says the policies should be revised in every five years keeping pace with the circumstances and reality.
