New Delhi, Oct 23 :
With an eye on the Delhi assembly elections due early next year, the Union cabinet on Wednesday decided to grant ownership rights to residents of 1,797 unauthorised colonies in the national capital—a move that will have an impact on 40 lakh people. Many of these colonies are built on government land. The decision is likely to have major repercussions as similar demands from other parts of the country, especially the metros, are likely to arise. The government will bring a legislation in this regard in the winter session of the Parliament next month. The decision comes with political overtures as the BJP wants to dislodge the AAP government in Delhi which claims support from these unauthorised colonies. With this move, the BJP-led Union government has tried to take control of the key election plank in the capital. The government said they are now focusing on the 1,797 authorised colonies where people from economically weaker sections reside. The decision will not apply to 69 affluent colonies identified by the DDA, including Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anant Ram Dairy, as decision on them would be taken a later date, the government added. “The decision will benefit more than 40 lakh residents of unauthorised colonies spread over around 175sqkm, as development and redevelopment can now take place in these colonies resulting in a clean, secure and healthy living environment,” Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. The minister hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal government for not being pro-active in carrying out the survey work of these colonies. Kejriwal, addressing a press conference immediately after the announcement, welcomed the move and said his government has invested Rs 6,000 crore to bring changes in these colonies. He added that his government had submitted the proposal to the Union government in July which was accepted today.
This decision has set a tone for the Delhi elections as both parties will claim credit for regularisation of these illegal colonies.
Puri said many people, including him, who came to Delhi after Partition will benefit as these colonies had come to accommodate the influx of refugees from Pakistan. At the time of Independence the population of Delhi was eight lakh, and 11 lakh refugees had came from Pakistan. Now the population of Delhi is over 2 crore. The minister said the decision will not be used to regularise encroachments in other parts of the country saying government has regulatory processes and was offering incentives to avail affordable accommodations through central schemes.
