The Hindu : Front Page : Nod for regularisation of 1,500 unauthorised Delhi colonies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 09, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Nod for regularisation of 1,500 unauthorised Delhi colonies

Staff Reporter

NEW VISTAS: Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy along with Minister of State Ajay Maken announcing details of the new Master Plan for Delhi on Thursday. — PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

NEW DELHI: A day after the Union Urban Development Ministry notified the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved guidelines for regularisation of about 1,500 unauthorised colonies that have come up in the Capital over the past three decades and are now home to nearly 30 lakh people.

Announcing the decision, Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said that after the nod from the Union Cabinet the Ministry would now approach the Delhi High Court for ultimate implementation of the proposal.

Mr. Reddy said the Government had decided not to charge any fees from the unauthorised colonies that have come up on private land as the owners here had already purchased the land from farmers. These colonies constitute about 80 per cent of all unauthorised colonies in the city that have now been regularised.

However, owners of plots in unauthorised colonies that have come up on Government land and for which the Government had made payments to the farmers would have to pay some charges that would depend on the nature of the respective colony as also the size of the plot. "Poor people on small plots will have to pay less,'' said Mr. Reddy.

Also, the Minister added, the Delhi Government would decide the charges to be levied on the unauthorised colonies that have come up on Government land.

The Minister said the Government had also taken up the issue of regularisation of three affluent colonies - Sainik Farms, Anant Ram Dairy and Mahendroo Enclave -- and the Union Cabinet had agreed to the proposal seeking their regularisation. But, he added, the matter would be officially taken up by the Cabinet later.

Since the K.K. Mathur Committee had submitted its proposals in this regard, the Ministry would now go through them, said Mr. Reddy.

The Minister said the decision to undertake regularisation of the 1,500 colonies would now pave the way for their redevelopment and help in introducing necessary elements of planning as well as making available civic infrastructure in these colonies. The decision would improve the quality of life of the residents and the mixed land use regulation allowing commercial use of residential properties would also become applicable to such colonies.

Most importantly, commercial establishments, schools, nursing homes, clinics and dispensaries in these unauthorised colonies would now become eligible for regularisation in due course.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page