New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna today said there is an urgent need to make Local Area Plans for redevelopment of all the 362 villages which have so far been ignored by city planners.

''There is an urgent need for such a plan,'' Mr Khanna said at a meeting called to discuss redevelopment of Khirki village based on a proposal developed by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission DUCA.

The meeting was attended by DUAC Chairman Charles Correa, DDA Vice Chairman C Dinesh Rai, MCD Commissioner Ashok Nigam, ASI Deputy Director-General V S Madan, DDA Engineering Member A K Sareen and DDA Planning Commissioner A K Jain.

The Lt Governor announced the setting up of an Empowered Project Implementation Group for the Khirki village project, to be headed by the DDA Vice Chairman. The committee will function as a 'Single window for project implementation'.

The Group would comprise the MCD Commissioner, DUAC member, ASI DG, DJB CEO, and Urban Development Principal Secretary.

Special invitees will include elected local representatives and a representative from the Power Department.

Mr Khanna said all 362 villages should be covered under the village specific development plans and core competencies and institutional mechanisms should be built for the purpose by the DDA, MCD and DUAC.

A meeting of the Project Implementation Group will be held shortly. After preparation of the Detailed Project Report, the actual project implementation is expected to start by March 2008.

UNI