Centre clears regularisation of illegal colony in Delhi

Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the Centre on Wednesday approved the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the national capital, a move that will benefit 40 to 50 lakh people.

Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the Centre will grant ownership rights to the people living in 1,797 unauthorised colonies in the city spread over 175 sq km and take up developmental works in these areas.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will swiftly to execute the decision and bring a bill in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 18 to this effect, the Minister said.

Since these colonies are inhabited by people from lower-income groups, the government decided to regularise this in the first phase. However, the decision does not apply to 69 affluent colonies including Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anantram Dairy, Puri noted.

The decision is politically significant, as it will benefit millions of poor migrants who hold key to the Assembly election results and had backed the AAP in large numbers in the 2015 assembly polls. The Delhi Assembly elections are due early next year.

Puri also slammed the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government, accusing it of trying to "delay" the decision to grant people from low-income groups ownership rights.

However, Kejriwal claimed that the Centre is approving the proposal sent by his government three months back. He also demanded the Centre to implement the scheme at the earliest.

Puri said the city government had sought time till 2021 to give the inputs sought from it for taking the decision and added that the Modi government decided to "take the initiative when it became clear that the Delhi government will do nothing".