In a bid to bring in more revenue, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will lease out heritage buildings for commercial use such as the opening of restaurants, guesthouses, banks and retail shopping centres

There are around 100 heritage buildings in the SDMC region, most of them in the areas around Hauz Khas, Nizamuddin, Mehrauli and Tughlaqabad.

Many of these heritage buildings are forts or old houses which have not been properly maintained or are neglected. Some of them are from the Mughal era or before India’s freedom.

The corporation had in July last year passed the project but has not been able to make any headway and so a fresh attempt is now on, said a senior official.

SDMC mayor Mukesh Suryan said that under the plan, these heritage buildings will be given to private players on a lease of 20 years for the opening of restaurants, banks, retail shopping centres among others. “The SDMC has decided to lease out one such heritage property located in the Mehrauli area,” he said.

“The upkeep, maintenance, renovation and modification will be done by the user and the SDMC will not incur any expenditure on this account. On the other hand, the SDMC will earn revenue from grant of licence to use of these heritage properties/buildings,” Suryan said in a statement.

Retail shopping, stockist and dealers of medicine and drugs, commercial offices, clinical laboratory, clinic and polyclinic, repair services, bank, ATM, guest house, informal trade, coaching centres, training institutes and restaurants would be permitted in heritage buildings.