NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Thursday that residents of 1,797 unauthorised colonies of Delhi will soon get ownership rights to their properties. The bonanza comes a few months before assembly elections in Delhi and two days after the Union housing and urban affairs ministry circulated a Cabinet proposal for formulating a framework for the exercise.
The cut-off date for regularisation of these colonies is January 1, 2015, as mutually agreed upon by the Centre and Delhi government, said urban development minister Satyendar Jain.
The political significance of this move becomes obvious when one considers the fact that about 50 lakh people are estimated to be living in these colonies today. The figure was just over two lakhs in 1962. Today, this huge population is a vote bank all political parties want to woo.
Addressing reporters, Kejriwal said: “Yesterday, the central government has given us a very positive feedback. They are ready to accept our proposal.” The Delhi cabinet had cleared the proposal to regularise 1,797 colonies on November 2, 2015 and sent it to the Centre on November 12.
Congratulating the residents of these colonies, Kejriwal said: “You will soon become owners of your houses... Preparations to begin registration have started.” He thanked the Centre on behalf of the people of Delhi.
Sources said that three affluent unauthorised colonies — Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anant Ram Dairy — will not get the benefit of the government’s decision. Also, no land rights will be conferred in colonies that have come up on forest land, the Ridge, Yamuna floodplains and within the restricted area around ASI monuments.
A committee, headed by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, had submitted a report in June this year recommending the procedures and the fee that residents would need to pay for getting the ownership rights. The panel had also laid down the steps that Delhi government’s revenue department and other agencies needed to take. The Centre had set up the committee through a Cabinet decision on March 7.
“A long-standing dream of the people living in unauthorized colonies is going to be fulfilled soon,” the chief minister said. “Until now, all central and state governments had betrayed the people living there. Before every election, they would promise regularisation but would not fulfil the promise. We started working on this promise right from day one.”
“The Centre has sent some technical questions on the proposal. I have directed all senior officials to immediately prepare responses to the satisfaction of the central government within the next two-three days,” added Kejriwal.
The chief minister has directed the revenue department to begin preparations for facilitation of large-scale registration for which camps will be set up. Sources said the residents will have to pay a nominal amount, which could be between 1-2% of the circle rate, depending on the area of the plot, as a one-time fee.