In a move that spells relief for an estimated 40 lakh residents staying in unauthorised colonies and also that would deliver on a promise made by successive governments, but ever fulfilled, the Delhi Government on Tuesday set the ball rolling on regularisation of such colonies.
Residents of 1,650 such colonies can apply for the registration of their respective properties soon.
“In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia along with officials concerned, it has been decided to immediately complete the process of fixing boundaries of these colonies using the latest scientific methods,” the government said in a statement.
“Satellite and total solution methods would be used for demarcation of boundaries. The Chief Minister directed the Revenue Department to fix the boundaries in these colonies as soon as possible. Once the boundary of a particular colony is fixed, registration of properties in these colonies will begin,” the statement added.
Regularisation of unauthorised colonies was not only among the significant poll pitches of the AAP but has been a political hot potato for successive governments.
A senior government official told The Hindu that the step would also help nip corrupt practices by lower government functionaries. They would extort residents of unauthorised colonies on the basis of allowing or disallowing modifications to their respective buildings citing architectural anomalies and building bylaws.
Leaders of the BJP-led municipal corporations, which are responsible for clearing layout plans of colonies, rejected the announcement as merely a ploy to grab headlines.
“The AAP isn’t aware of the ground realities of Delhi. Firstly, the number of colonies in question is 1,649 not 1,650,” said Mohan Bhardwaj, the chairperson of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee. He added that 895 colonies had already been legalised by the Centre during the President’s Rule in Delhi.
“At that time, it was also said that the colonies can apply for registration if they have clear boundaries and fixed titles. So, there is nothing new in the AAP Government’s announcement,” said Mr. Bhardwaj.
He added that there were about 170 colonies whose boundaries were in question as they included government, gram sabha and forest land. “What does the government intend to do in case of the disputed land,” asked the BJP leader.
The cut-off date for the eligibility for a colony is its existence from June 1, 2014, and for a building the cut-off date is January 1, 2015.
