The Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said regularisation of unauthorised colonies is pending as the Centre is sitting on the proposal sent to them by the Delhi government almost one-and-a-half years ago.
Court concern
Mr. Jain asked the Centre to clarify if it wanted to regularise unauthorised colonies. The Minister’s statement comes a day after the High Court asked the Centre to take in-principle decision on the Aam Aadmi Party government’s proposal to regularise unauthorised colonies.
He claimed that the Delhi government was ready to issue a “regularisation certificate” to 1,640 unauthorised colonies “within 24 hours” if the Centre approved it. “In the meantime, work is on at war footing to provide basic facilities in all these colonies till they are regularised,” he said.
With the Municipal elections slated in April, all parties are trying to woo the voters living in the unauthorised colonies, which comprise around 60% of Delhi. Mr. Jain said he had written to the Centre in November 2015, asking for regularisation of these colonies.
“In September last year, they sent us many queries that will take years to answer even if we want to. Even the High Court took notice of that and asked the Centre to reply within four weeks if it wants to regularise these colonies at all,” he said.
“The Centre had asked for details like plot sizes in each colony and a geospatial survey, among other things. It’s like counting hair on someone’s head,” he said.
