Even after regularisation, demolition dilemma will haunt Sheila's govt

  Even as the Delhi government claims to be all set to regularise 917 unauthorised colonies as soon as it gets the court’s nod, it is still grappling with a dilemma over the structures which fall just outside the legal demarcated boundaries of each of these localities.

Will it demolish them?
While legally it should, no official or minister is ready to use the word ‘demolition’, especially before the court.

So much so, Delhi government, instead of approaching the court has requested the union urban development ministry to take up the matter with the High Court.
To Sheila Dikshit government’s relief, the ministry has agreed to that and will approach the court soon.

“Delhi government is in a fix on several issues here. The first thing that the Court is going to ask is what is being done with the houses or buildings that fall beyond the legal boundaries set. Will you demolish them? We have no answer to it,” a senior Delhi government official said.

“The government can’t say they will demolish the houses for obvious reasons, nor can it justify their existence before the court. Frankly, the government is yet to decide its answer on this,” added the official.

He added legal opinion on this matter was being sought the Union urban development ministry goes to court on Monday.

According to the gazette notification issued by Delhi Development Authority in May this year, it had empowered the Delhi urban development department to fix boundaries of each identified unauthorised colony by using satellite or aerial survey image obtained in 2007.  

The notification also clarified that boundaries would be fixed along physical features like drains, roads, railway lines, nullahs and by-lanes as interpreted through satellite images.

And, after fixing the boundaries on the basis of the 2007 images, the city government will forward the layout plan to the concerned local body.
“Everything will be sorted out very shortly,” said Delhi Urban Development Minister A K Walia reacting to conundrum before the government.