Regularisation remains stuck

Civic agencies slam Delhi govt for asking RWAs to pay for layout plans

Residents of regularised unauthorised colonies in the city are unlikely to derive benefits anytime soon as the municipal agencies and the city government are again involved in a tug-of-war over layout plans of these colonies.

The municipal corporations have once again demanded the Delhi government to provide funds to make layout plans as resident welfare associations (RWA) are not willing to pay the cost for the purpose.

While South Delhi Municipal Corporation passed a resolution to this effect in its House meeting on Friday, members of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation standing committee on Thursday had referred back the layout plan of Vishwas Nagar colony, which was tabled before it by the commissioner for clearance. Earlier, the three corporations had expedited the process of making the layout plan of 312 colonies that have come up on private land.

They had even sanctioned an initial amount on its own part to three institutions identified by the Delhi government to make the layout plan.
However, the BJP-ruled municipal corporations have now demanded the city government to meet the expense as well as waive the clause that directed RWAs to meet the expense.

Leader of opposition in South Corporation, Subahsh Arya, said that according to the June 6, 2012 notification, three institutions — Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT and IP University — were identified to make the layout plan of unauthorised colonies.

The notification made it mandatory for RWAs to meet the expense of making the layout plan, he said.

“Now even after several months, not a single RWA has paid the amount. Therefore, we demand the Delhi government to give funds so that we expedite the process,” Arya said. “The government should also withdraw the notification.”

The layout plan is important to set up infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads, drains and other civic amenities. RWAs have been asked to pay Rs 50,000 per acre to the institutions as the cost of making layout plan.