Tentwallahs pull the strings at DDA wedding grounds

He was politely told by DDA officers that the policy for leasing out grounds for social functions stipulates that you can only book the venue three months prior to the function,and not before that. “So,I went back on November 13,precisely three months before the event,only to be told that all the grounds in the area,nearly 20 of them,were completely booked,” he said.

Dejected,Wadhwa was about to leave the office when a courteous DDA official suggested that he check with “Kohli Tentwallah”,who could probably arrange something for him. “They even gave me the address for Kohli Tentwallah,and when I went there I was shocked to find that I could rent any DDA ground I wanted for the date I wanted,provided I agreed to use their pandals and pay their prices for it,” Wadhwa laments.

The DDA generally charges between Rs 35,000-Rs 60,000 for leasing a ground,depending on the size,Wadhwa was asked to pay Rs 15 lakh,not including catering,which — in turn — would cost another Rs 15 lakh.

Wadhwa’s story is not an exception,but the rule. According to a letter written to the Lieutenant Governor by a group of concerned residents of Northwest Delhi,there are over 100 grounds in areas like Janakpuri,Vikaspuri and Pitampura,where pandals have become a permanent fixture throughout the wedding season. Newsline has a copy of the letter.

“According to the policy,you lease the ground for a day and your tent has to be removed the next day. However,in most of these grounds,the tents stay up throughout the year except for the monsoon,when there is fear that the extravagant fixtures may get damaged,” explained a concerned citizen,who did not want to reveal his identity because it could adversely affect his ongoing discussion on the subject with the DDA.

In fact,some of these tents have semi-permanent fixtures like a tinned portion of the roof,or a permanent electricity supply and endless water supply. In Janakpuri’s Dussehra grounds,for instance,the pandals are custom-made to reflect various themes,such as havelis with pillars and faux trees and over-the-top mannequins. “There is no way that the tent mafia can operate without striking deals with DDA officials,at least the ones who are directly responsibly for booking the grounds for functions,” the citizen said.

The DDA,for its part,says that it is aware of the problem and is working on finding a solution. “There have been various complaints regarding allotment of land for marriages,etc. We are working on formulating a new policy along the lines of the policy for allotment of land for temporary use for religious functions. We are confident that our new policy will eliminate all such complaints,” explained Neemo Dhar,Commissioner,Public Relations,DDA.