The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sheila yields to pressure: free run for illegal colonies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 29, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sheila yields to pressure: free run for illegal colonies

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, OCT. 28. Under pressure from various quarters including her own party MLAs, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is understood to have "turned down" the Urban Development Department's decision to impose development charges of Rs. 990 per sq. yard for regularisation of unauthorised colonies across the Capital. The Government also plans to approach the Central Government to regularise these illegal colonies and leave the issue of imposing development charges and penalties to the discretion of the Delhi Government.

Sources in the Delhi Government told The Hindu today that the Chief Minister issued instructions in this regard to the Urban Development Minister, A.K. Walia, and the Principal Secretary (Urban Development), O.P. Kelkar, not to go ahead with the proposal for imposing Rs. 990 as development charge per sq yard.

It is understood that Ms. Dikshit has made it clear that the Delhi Government would be guided by the policy adopted by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in this connection and there should be no deviation. The demand for following Indira Gandhi's policy was also part of the Congress party manifesto that has been described as a sacred document by no less than the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Under the new proposal that had been prepared by the officials of the Delhi Government and the Union Urban Development Ministry, the Government had proposed to levy Rs. 425 as development charge for roads, Rs. 300 for sewer and Rs. 222 for drinking water facility on per sq yard basis. The draft of this proposal had been sent to the Union Urban Development Ministry for necessary consideration. However, when the matter became public, the party MLAs are understood to have told Ms. Dikshit that it would be against the spirit of the Congress manifesto and the party's stand if such a heavy penalty was imposed for regularisation. It was also pointed out that any such move would only lead to massive protests, on a much bigger scale than what was witnessed during the ongoing agitation in protest against closure of industries in the Capital's "non-conforming" areas. It was felt that such a line would only invite the wrath of the electorate and it would be a "politically unwise" move.

There were also protests from some other quarters including the Nationalist Congress Party MLA, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who said nothing short of the 1976-77 policy of Indira Gandhi would be acceptable.

Wiser from the experience of the industrial units agitation, the Chief Minister is understood to have told the concerned Minister and the Departments not to go ahead with the proposal for imposing Rs. 990 as development charge.

It is learnt that Ms. Dikshit said that as no development charge was being taken for building roads in other parts of Delhi, it would not be feasible to demand such a charge in the unauthorised colonies therefore this issue should be totally done away with. Secondly, the Chief Minister is understood to have asked Dr. Walia to prepare the latest list of unauthorised colonies up to 2002 whose survey had been completed.

It has reportedly been decided that only those colonies on private land would be regularised that have more than 50 per cent built up area. Under the new policy to be presented to the Union Government, the Delhi Government would seek regularisation of all the colonies up to March 2002. The new strategy would ask the Central Government to regularise the colonies and leave the issue of fixing development charge at the discretion of the Delhi Government. This way the Delhi Government would be able to exercise its leverage and fix the charges keeping in mind the interests of the 40 lakh people living in these colonies.

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