624 colonies in Delhi to be regularised in the first phase

NEW DELHI: Delhi government plans to regularise 624 unauthorised colonies out of 1,639 such settlements in the first phase of regularisation which is likely to be completed soon.

Urban Development Minister A K Walia said Government has decided to regularise 624 unauthorised colonies in the first phase as all concerned agencies including ASI, Forest Department, DDA , Revenue Department and MCD have cleared their regularisation.

"Out of 624 colonies, 202 are on private land and rest 422 are on government land. The UD Department has taken an all important decision to finally grant recognition to these colonies," Walia said.

He said ownership of the properties currently under power of attorney would also be converted through registered sale deeds to the owners in these colonies.

"The owners of the properties would also become entitled for loans against their registered properties," he said.

The government had in June finalised boundaries of over 1,018 unauthorised colonies paving the way for their regularisation, a key poll promise of the Congress government which is due to face election in 15 months.

Delhi government had issued provisional regularisation certificates to over 1,200 unauthorised colonies ahead of assembly polls in 2008. The then Dikshit government, while distributing the certificates, had promised to regularise the colonies if Congress came to power for the third term. However, not a single colony has been regularised so far.

The process slowed down considerably last year following allegations that some "non existent" as well as "ineligible" colonies were given provisional regularisation certificates flouting norms.

After the Congress' defeat in the municipal polls in April, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had asked all concerned departments to expedite the regularisation process.

Lack of developmental work in unauthorised colonies, which were traditional Congress strongholds, was identified as a major reason for the defeat in the municipal polls.