Centre to regularise Delhi’s 1,511 illegal colonies without approved layout plans

New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Offering a big relief to over 45 lakh migrant residents living in Delhi’s unauthorised colonies, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday announced the regularisation of 1,511 "unauthorised colonies" on an "as is, where is" basis, removing the clause for approved layout plans for these settlements.

The Union minister also offered hope to over 60 upscale, affluent unauthorised colonies, Sainik Farms and Anant Ram Dairy, saying the residents here will have to pay higher charges for regularisation, whose schedule or form is still not clear, but “we will do it”.

Announcing the decision to grant regularisation to 1,511 "unauthorised colonies" on an "as is, where is" basis, Manohar Lal said that the day marks a historic moment in the lives of residents of Delhi.

The announcement is likely to bring relief to 45 lakh migrant residents of these unplanned colonies that came up on farmlands in violation of building bye-laws over the past three to four decades due to poor availability of affordable houses for the city’s growing population.

Manohar Lal added that the Central government enacted the Pradhan Mantri – Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) scheme in 2019 to confer ownership rights to residents of these colonies, but the progress was slow due to the absence of approved layout plans.

He stated that with the current decision to regularise colonies on an “as is where is” basis, residents will be encouraged to come forward for registration of their properties. The whole process shall be sped up as it drops the earlier prerequisite of approved layout plans.

This latest decision will not only provide legal ownership but also enable citizens to undertake construction or redevelopment of their homes in accordance with civic building bye-laws, he said.

Manohar Lal also said that these transformative steps have been undertaken under the guidance and inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He stated that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Delhi is witnessing a new phase of planned and inclusive urban development, aimed at addressing legacy issues while building a future-ready city.

There are 1,731 unplanned colonies in the national capital. Of these, 1,511 colonies on Tuesday were declared as eligible for regularisation on "as is, where is" basis. The rest have failed to make the cut as these are either built on non-confirming areas or green zones like the Delhi Ridge or the river bed or located close to monuments in violation of the archaeological provisions.

The regularisation of "unauthorised colonies" also marks the fulfilment of a major poll promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party in its election 'Sankalp Patra' for Delhi. These colonies are home to more than 10 lakh migrant families, mostly from Purvanchal, Uttarakhand and other northern states.

Sharing details, Manohar Lal said 1,511 unauthorised colonies (out of 1,731 UCs), which do not fall under exclusion criteria, will be regularised on an “as-is, where-is” basis without requiring approved layout plans.

The land use of all plots and buildings in these colonies will be treated as residential and convenience shops up to 20 sq. metres will be regularised if they have access to a right of way of 6 metres. For shops up to 10 sq. metres, the required right of way may be less than 6 metres, he said.

Regularisation will apply to existing built-up structures on an “as-is where-is” basis, and MCD/local bodies will issue certificates of regularisation, conduct surveys of vacant plots, and facilitate development of civic infrastructure, he said.

The Revenue Department of the Delhi government will issue Conveyance Deeds/ Authorisation Slips to eligible residents, he said.

He said layout plans will be prepared by an inter-agency cell (DDA, MCD, GNCTD) using satellite imagery; however, the absence of layout plans will not hinder regularisation.

This amendment marks a shift from an ownership-only framework to a comprehensive framework enabling both ownership and regularisation of unauthorised colonies, through a simplified, integrated approach from MCD, DDA and the Delhi government, he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta thanked Prime Minister Modi for the major relief to residents of these 1,511 colonies.

"The application process will begin on April 24. A seven-day timeline for GIS survey, a 15-day process to address deficiencies in applications, and a 45-day deadline for issuing conveyance deeds have been set," the Chief Minister said.

"The Central government and the Delhi government have together removed 22 major obstacles in this process so that millions of families can receive their due rights without delay, pendency, or hassle. At the same time, small shops up to 20 square metres will also be regularised with conditions, providing relief to small traders as well," she added.

--IANS

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