Why Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is a house divided

Welcome to Delhi Confidential, your exclusive insight into India's political landscape. Today, we delve into the fascinating story of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, a department that is experiencing a notable division. In July, the Cabinet Secretariat announced the bifurcation of the ministry, leading to the creation of two new departments: Department of Capital Development and Department of Urban Development.

However, sources reveal that the transition has not been seamless, with many projects still under the purview of the old ministry.

The two construction arms of the ministry, CPWD and NBCC, have been assigned to the Department of Capital Development, but the majority of their projects are located outside Delhi. On the other hand, urban transport, Delhi Metro, and NCRTC fall under the Department of Urban Development, despite DMRC acting as a consultant on metro projects beyond the capital.

In an effort to bring clarity to the situation, former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu made a rare appearance at a BJP event in Delhi. Naidu, who had previously resigned from the BJP and rarely attends party events, inaugurated 25 Atal Canteens to commemorate the 8th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The event saw Naidu breaking bread with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, BJP Lok Sabha MPs from Delhi, and other senior leaders.

Meanwhile, the Ministries of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are set to relocate from the historic Krishi Bhawan in Lutyens' Delhi to the government office complex at Netaji Nagar in South Delhi. The buildings where these ministries currently reside are slated for redevelopment into new secretariat buildings. As the political and administrative landscape continues to shift, the fate of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs remains uncertain, marking a clear division within the capital's bureaucracy.