Green lung or museum? Authorities weigh options for Rajghat Power House land

The land is located next to the Rajghat Samadhi complex, which has memorials to Mahatma Gandhi, along with former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and others. It was allotted by the Centre in two portions – in 1941 and 1947 – for the purposes of a power plant to the Delhi Central Electric Power Authority.

According to sources, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) decided to re-enter, or take back, the land in 2018 as the lessee had not paid ground rent and sub-divided the property in violation of the lease. In February 2019, the L&DO asked for possession of the land, sources said.

“Power Minister Atishi has approved a draft related to various possibilities for the utilisation of the land for consideration by the Delhi Cabinet and the process is ongoing,” a Delhi government source said, adding that L-G VK Saxena’s Secretariat too was “apprised of the matter”.

In the meantime, the land had been in use by Indraprastha Power Generation Co. Ltd (IPGCL), which is a Delhi government company, and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), a joint venture between Delhi government and Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, when the power sector was privatised in the Capital in 2002. The plant was rarely functioning since 2014 but was officially shut down in September 2019, as per a Power Department source.

Both companies moved the High Court against the L&DO in 2019 as they still had their offices at the site, as well as a coal yard of 3.5 acres. Interestingly, IGPCL withdrew its petition in 2023 and BYPL in February this year.

IPGCL informed the court on August 25 last year that it wanted to withdraw its petition based on an office order of June 13, 2023 by the Deputy Director (Power) of Delhi government, “which states that the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, Delhi, has directed withdrawal of all pending cases relating to the Rajghat Power House land,” the HC order said.

While IGPCL’s petition had been withdrawn, the land was yet to be handed back to the L&DO, which is believed to have issued a demand notice of Rs 174 crore in January this year for the unpaid dues and unauthorised occupation charges.

Soon after that, BYPL withdrew its petition on February 19. “The counsel for the petitioner on instruction seeks permission to withdraw the present petition, but with liberty to file a fresh application in case of altered circumstances in relation to demand notice. The liberty as prayed for is granted,” the HC order said.

According to sources at the MoHUA, any future plans for the site would only be decided once it is handed back; however, it could be used as an extension of the Rajghat Samadhi complex.

A Delhi government source said a Cabinet note for the consideration of the future utilisation of the land by the Delhi Cabinet has been drafted and circulated to relevant departments for their opinion.

Among the options on the table, according to the source, are using it as a green lung for the city and as the site of a new museum. Since Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, the functioning of Delhi’s Council of Ministers has been affected and Cabinet meetings, to be chaired by Kejriwal as per rules, have not taken place due to his absence.