Former councillors, locals, religious leaders, and even a Baba Ramdev (not the famous yoga guru) have got parks, community halls, roads, roundabouts, and grounds named after them in North Delhi recently.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation last week passed 34 proposals to give names to a range of its properties. A 0.206-acre park in Rohini’s Sector-20 will now be known as Baba Ramdev Park.
According to guidelines, a civic body can only give names to parks, roads and other facilities if those don’t have one already. Nameless properties can be named after ‘eminent personalities (local, national or international) to honour them’.
The proposal to name the park in Rohini after Baba Ramdev says ‘Baba Ramdev is known as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu’ and that ‘more than 10,000’ families in the ward follow him.
Local councillor Devender Solanki, who proposed the name, clarified that the park was not being named after the yoga guru. “The Baba Ramdev we are talking about was a religious leader from Rajasthan,” said Mr. Solanki.
Out of 55 items on the agenda before the House on August 13, 34 were regarding names of various properties as passed by the naming committee in July.
The first floor of a community centre in Keshavpuram was named Ashwini Kumar Hall, but it was unclear who he was. Another community hall in Jahangirpuri was named after Lala Sh. Kishan, again the proposal had no details on who he was.
A park in Rohini Sector-21 was named after Master Attar Singh. The reason, according to the proposal, was that ‘the population of Brahmins is numbering more than 10,000’ in the area.
Former councillors Madan Lal Kapoor and Manjit Singh Khanna got roads named after them. A road in Shastri Nagar was named after Jagdish Chander Dhiman. According to the proposal of councillor Neelam Dhiman, he was a ‘devoted social activist. He was a polite, determinate and honest person’.
The BJP-led civic body named a park in Naraina in honour of RSS founder Dr. Keshav Rao Baliram Hedgewar and another one in Rohini after the organisation’s second sarchangchalak (head), Guru Golwalkar.
While some of the names chosen are of religious leaders with large followings and freedom fighters, there are many who appear to be unheard of personalities.
Leader of the House Yogender Chandolia admitted that councillors propose to name municipal properties after relatives or friends.
“I’m not in favour of this at all. We should only name roads or parks after people who have served society or contributed in some manner,” said Mr. Chandolia.
The North Delhi civic body last week passed 34 proposals to give names to a range of its properties
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