New Delhi: Delhi government has finalised boundaries of over 1,000 unauthorised colonies in a major step towards regularising the settlements, which are home to around 40 lakh people.
"The boundaries of 1,018 colonies have been finalised. With this, we have made a significant headway in regularising these unauthorised colonies," Urban Development Minister A K Walia said.
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.
The government had tasked the Survey of India with finalising the boundaries.
Expressing Delhi government's commitment to regularise the colonies as soon as possible, Walia said once the settlements are regularised the residents will be able to legally sell and buy their properties. Currently sale and purchase of properties is not allowed in the unauthorised colonies.
"The owners of the properties will be able to even avail bank loan against their properties," he said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 21:06