The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a BJP MLA seeking the reconstitution of the Trans Yamuna Area Development Board (TYADB), stating that the state government is still deliberating on the matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula considered the Delhi government’s response, which clarified that TYABD is an administrative body, not a statutory one.
The bench stated, “This court does not find any reason to issue a mandamus to the government to reconstitute the board; consequently, the PIL stands dismissed.”
The petition was filed by Abhay Verma, the representative of the Laxmi Nagar constituency in the Delhi assembly, expressing concerns about the delay in TYADB’s reconstitution hindering the region’s development. In the plea, he pointed out that TYADB was established by the Delhi government in March 1994 to facilitate the structured development of the Trans Yamuna Area (TYA). Its goal was to reduce developmental disparities between TYA and other regions of Delhi while ensuring essential amenities for its residents.
The petitioner highlighted that although funds had been regularly allocated to TYADB, it had not been reconstituted since July 2015. Additionally, funds allocated for 2020-21 and 2021-22 had remained unused. The delay in reconstitution had led to the neglect of TYADB’s fundamental responsibilities, such as proposing new infrastructure projects, coordinating inter-agency efforts, and rectifying existing infrastructure deficiencies.
This situation undermined the very purpose of TYADB’s establishment. The petition sought a directive to the chief secretary and secretary (Director of Local Bodies) of the Delhi government to promptly reconstitute the board. In response, the city government authorities reported that deliberations regarding the board’s reconstitution were still ongoing. They emphasized that since TYADB’s inception in 1994, multiple schemes with similar objectives related to local area development had been initiated. These schemes included the Mukhyamantri Sadak Punarnirman Yojna (MSPY), Mukhyamantri Street Light Yojna, Chief Minister Local Area Development (CMLAD), and the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Scheme (MLALAD). Furthermore, new entities like the Delhi Village Development Board (DVDB), Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC) had been established to promote developmental activities in peripheral villages and unauthorized colonies.
The government noted that under the MSPY and CMLAD schemes, it had committed to improving and renovating streets and roads in unauthorized colonies and various housing societies based on recommendations by MLAs and municipal councilors. The Delhi government’s counsel clarified that TYADB was not a statutory body but an administrative entity formed as a policy decision by the government.