The Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) recently gave the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)’s new office in the national capital’s Jhandewalan area its no-objection certificate (NOC) for completion, bringing it a step closer to inauguration. DUAC had considered the proposal for NOC for Keshav Kunj at its meeting on August 1, but decided not to grant it due to lack of documentation, the minutes of the meeting showed. At its meeting on August 29, DUAC approved the certificate. “The proposal for NOC for completion (Part-Tower 1 and 2) received (online) at the completion stage was scrutinised along with the documentation, drawings, photographs etc. Based on the documentation, including drawings and photographs of the complex, the proposal for NOC for Completion (Part-Tower 1 and 2) is found to be accepted,” read the minutes of the August 29 meeting uploaded by DUAC this week. While considering the proposal on August 1, DUAC asked the project’s architect to submit additional documentation, including photos of the construction vis-a-vis the 3D view of what was approved when the project started. Before a building is given the completion certificate by the local body, the project proponent has to get NOCs from the agencies concerned, including DUAC, and the fire department among others. The new RSS office in Jhandewalan is spread over two 12-storey towers with 46,999 square metres of built-up area, as per the environment clearance accorded to the project in 2018. The buildings have offices, meeting rooms, conference halls and a library. According to the environment clearance, the projects’ “benefits” include “benefits to society by providing educational, social and cultural learning”. “The institution will provide employment to labourers during the construction phase and employment to personnel working during the operation phase. The institutional building will also enhance the infrastructure of the area,” said the environment clearance. The project was first approved by DUAC in July 2015 and then the revised plans were cleared in July 2018, as per DUAC records. The project is being carried out by Shree Keshav Samark Samiti, a Sangh committee named after RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hegdewar.
