The Union Government is expected to issue a notification on regularisation of about 900 colonies in Delhi on Tuesday. Apart from this it is also likely to announce grant of ownership rights to 45 resettlement colonies.
Following a meeting between Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, her Parliamentary Secretary Mukesh Sharma said the issue of regularisation of colonies was discussed at length.
He said the meeting began at 7 p.m. and ran up to 8-10 p.m. It was also attended by “outgoing” Delhi Minister for Urban Development and Revenue A. K. Walia and his “successor” Arvinder Singh Lovely, Chief Secretary P. K. Tripathi, Union Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna and some other senior officials of the Delhi and Central Government.
As per Mr. Sharma, the Union Urban Development Minister assured the Delhi Government delegation that he would be issuing the notification of the regularisation of about 900 colonies on Tuesday.
“Ms. Dikshit also raised the issue of unauthorised colonies that have come up on Forest and Archaeological Survey of India land and stated that the Delhi Government cannot remove so many people from there. At this Mr. Nath assured that the Government of India would change the laws if need be to protect the interests of these residents as well,” he said.
On whether the issue of the matter of regularisation being pending in courts came up for discussion, the Parliamentary Secretary said “there are no technical or legal problems” coming in the way of regularisation now. He also charged that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has been misleading the people about the entire issue.
The Delhi Government is soon expected to place all records and data on the development works carried out in the unauthorised colonies before the courts to pave the way for their regularisation.
Mr. Sharma said another important decision taken at the meeting pertained to grant of ownership rights to the residents of 45 resettlement colonies in Delhi. “Mr. Nath has assured that these rights would also be granted soon.”
Further, the Delhi Government functionaries also raised the issue of launch and expansion of the Mono Rail system in the city. “Mr. Nath stated that the Centre would extend all assistance to the project. He said it would support not only the first proposed line from Trilokpuri to Shastri Park in East Delhi but also the proposed extension and eight to 10 other lines which the Delhi Government is thinking about.”
