Delhi not serious to regularise colonies: Puri

| | New Delhi
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Delhi not serious to regularise colonies: Puri

Monday, 18 February 2019 | PNS | New Delhi

Delhi not serious to regularise colonies: Puri

After Delhi Metro phase IV projects, the Centre and the Delhi Government are at loggerheads over the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the national Capital. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that Delhi Government is not serious about regularisation of 1,797 unauthorised colonies.

“The Delhi Government has not created a separate cell to finalise the boundaries of each identified colony on the layout plan by using satellite or aerial survey images with the approval of the local body and this has not been done in last 10 years despite repeated reminders. The total station machine (TSM) survey has been stopped in March 2018 due to deficiency in demarcating the boundaries of these colonies in the survey,” Puri wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Puri said that the TSM has been stopped in March 2018 as deficiencies were found in the survey report submitted by the agency. The contract has not been extended. “The State Government representative further informed that they were considering introducing a new technology to complete the task by July 2019. On January 29, the Delhi Government informed that they are yet to finalise award of contract for fresh study and that may take four months. The study is likely to take another two years. This means the Delhi Government has been delaying the report continuously and it may go beyond July 2021,” said Puri, adding that these are all facts on record but are being conveniently suppressed from or mis-represented before the public.

As per the Government sources, two private agencies hired by the urban development department had started the TSM survey of 893 colonies in September 2017 and were supposed to complete it by September 30 this year. The agencies prepared maps of 566 colonies, which, when verified by the revenue department using revenue records and geospatial maps were found to be riddled with inaccuracies. Only 62 maps could be authenticated.

The Minister alleged that the State Government and its Ministers are giving impression that the Centre is responsible for delay of these colonies regularisation. “It also appears to be a concerted smear campaign unleashed to divert attention from the real issues and mislead the citizens of Delhi instead of making efforts to regularise all unauthorised colonies as per the guidelines/regulations issued by the Government of India way back in 2008,” said Puri holding the Delhi Government responsible for delaying of regularisation of these colonies.

“Government of India is keen to regularise all unauthorised colonies of Delhi which are covered under the Regulations but the whole process is stalled due to the apathy and inaction on the part of your Government to finalise the boundaries after survey of these colonies. Regulations also provide that GNCTD can commence the development works and augmentation of infrastructure facilities in public interest in colonies soon after the receipt of lay out plan if it satisfied that the colonies or part thereof fulfil the general principles contained in the revised Guidelines 2007,” read the letter.

The letter further said that the Centre has consistently been sympathetic to the cause of people living in these unauthorised colonies and to this end it has extended the cut-off date of regularisation of an unauthorised colony to the gazette notification dated January 1, 2015 of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

“Further, it was notified that such colonies, where more than 50% plots have been built up to 01.01.2015 will be considered for regularization. Even areas that have come up as an extension to village abadi and have not been notified as Lai Dora extension to village abadi as on 01.06.2014 have been considered as habitation eligible for regularisation under these Regulations. As a consequence, more unauthorised colonies have come within the consideration for regularisation. It is your duty and obligation as the Government concerned to invite applications and decide as per revised guidelines/regulations,” the letter said.

As per the regulations of 24 March 2008 and subsequent modifications thereof, Delhi government has to play the lead role in identifying and carrying out the process related to regularisation. The state government is expected to create a separate cell to carry out the work relating to regularisation of unauthorised colonies and finalise the boundaries of each identified colony on the layout plan by using satellite/aerial survey images for the approval of the local body. This has unfortunately not been done in last ten years despite repeated reminders/ reviews by the Government of India.

 

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