Chandni Chowk: LG’s visit
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu visited Chandni Chowk on April 11 and met traders and residents, describing the approach as a move toward a “model of collaborative governance” ( ). He carried out informal on‑ground engagement rather than unveiling a new redevelopment blueprint, signalling the administration is prioritizing visible buy‑in from market participants before pushing changes (aninews.in).
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu spent April 11 walking Chandni Chowk, meeting traders and residents instead of announcing a fresh redevelopment plan. (thehansindia.com) Sandhu said the administration was moving toward a “model of collaborative governance” after hearing complaints directly in the market. He said Delhi Police, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Public Works Department had been told to work “in lockstep” on local problems. (aninews.in) The visit came one month after Sandhu took office as Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor on March 12, 2026, with a public call for a “solution-oriented approach” across agencies and political lines. Chandni Chowk was one of his first high-profile market walkabouts. (hindustantimes.com) Chandni Chowk is not starting from scratch. Its redevelopment and pedestrianisation project has been underway for years under the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation, the nodal agency for the corridor. (iipa.org.in) That earlier push reshaped roughly a 1.3-kilometre stretch between Lal Jain Mandir and Fatehpuri Mosque into a pedestrian-focused market spine. The work was meant to reduce traffic congestion and upgrade basic infrastructure in one of Old Delhi’s busiest commercial districts. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) But maintenance and coordination problems have persisted after the redesign. In November 2025, the Public Works Department announced a two-year maintenance plan for the same 1.3-kilometre stretch after repeated demands from residents and shopkeepers. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The courts have also stepped in. In January 2026, the Delhi High Court said it would constitute a committee to address issues slowing the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project, saying the dispute involved the livelihoods of small vendors and hawkers. (newindianexpress.com) New project activity is still moving around the market. On April 10, 2026, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Standing Committee approved a proposal to conserve and redevelop the 160-year-old Town Hall building in Chandni Chowk into a museum and interpretation centre. (hindustantimes.com) Sandhu’s Chandni Chowk stop fit the method he has used in recent days, including a joint inspection with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at Vasudev Ghat on April 8 ahead of summer and monsoon preparations. In Chandni Chowk, the message was that fixes would start with visible coordination on the street, not a new blueprint on paper. (newsable.asianetnews.com)
