Illegal Delhi Colonies: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday addressed a joint press briefing with the Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, over the issue of illegal colonies in the national capital, highlighting steps taken by the government to provide relief to people. Lal announced the regularisation of 1,511 "unauthorised colonies" of Delhi on "as is, where is" basis. He said the decision offers relief to 45 lakh migrant residents of these colonies that came up in violation of building bye-laws over the past three to four decades.
How Will 'Legal Tag' Help People?
The "legal tag" for the houses in these unplanned colonies will help their residents avail benefits offered by the PM Uday Yojana -- for loan against property, permission for fresh construction as per law and start of development projects, he said. The existing structures will be recognised, while future constructions must adhere strictly to Municipal Corporation norms, the Union Minister said.
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"For faster processing, all these colonies have been treated as residential," he added. There are 1,731 unplanned colonies in the national capital. Of these, 1,511 colonies on Tuesday were declared as eligible for regularisation. 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 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. He reaffirmed that the government remains committed to systematic and phased urban reforms for Delhi's residents.
What Is 'As Is, Where Is Basis'?
The Centre enacted the PM-UDAY scheme in 2019 to confer ownership rights to Delhi residents and stated that with the current decision to regularise colonies on an “as is where is” basis, in which residents will be encouraged to come forward for registration of their properties. This will not only provide legal ownership but also enable citizens to undertake construction or redevelopment of their homes in accordance with MCD norms. The 'As Is, Where Is Basis' also suggests that the buyer accepts a house, existing damages, debts, or tenant issues without holding the seller responsible for repairs or disclosures.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta thanked Prime Minister Modi for the major relief to residents of these 1,511 colonies. "The application process will begin from 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.
(With IANS inputs)