Illegal colonies to get legit tag in 2 months
Buoyed by UD ministry’s nod to boundary issue, Delhi government will soon start regularising over 1,000 illegal colonies.
The Delhi government hopes to start issuing certificates to unauthorised colonies within two months time. With the government claiming that it already has procured clearances from all agencies concerned, 1,018 colonies are set to get regularisation certificates.
According to senior officials, the government will not have to wait for the civic agencies to finalise the layout plan or the DDA to change land-use in such areas before regularising them. The DDA had on Wednesday issued a notification authorising the city government to finalise the boundaries of the colonies having more than 50 per cent built up area as per aerial image of 2007.
"Delhi government can issue the order for regularising such areas simultaneously with the finalisation of the boundary lines and subject to the payment of development charge and cost of the public land," said R. Chandra Mohan, principal secretary, urban development department.
Delhi urban development minister AK Walia maintained that the exercise of completing the layout plans by the civic agencies will continue even after regularisation certificates are issued. "After the amendment in rules for regularisation of unauthorised colonies by the DDA, we will now start the work on fixing the boundary lines. Once that is done we will forward the layout plans to the local bodies. At the same time, we will issue orders for regularising the colonies," said Walia.
When quizzed about infrastructure in such colonies, Walia said colonies which do not have enough space, will have to rely on the neighbouring approved colonies for basic facilities such as schools and community halls.
"There is hardly any land in these colonies to construct schools, dispensaries, etc. But wherever we can, will find create such facilities," added Walia. According to Delhi government officials, colonies on public land will have to pay Rs 575 per square metre. A penalty of 10-15 per cent will be levied in areas that are in proximity to the approved colonies. Development charges at the rate of Rs 200 per square metre will also be levied on all colonies for being considered to be legitimised.
"Once the boundary lines are fixed, we will calculate how much each colony will have to pay. RWAs will collect the money. Colonies landlocked with developed areas will have to pay more penalty than those situated on the periphery of the city," said a senior Delhi government official.
Officials maintained that changing the land-use will not be required for all colonies as the Master Plan Delhi 2021 has shown these colonies as residential. But sources maintained that land-use will have to be changed in accordance with the laid down procedures.
Apart from the 1,018 colonies, there is some hope for 162 other colonies where the RWAs had submitted multiple layout plans. Officials said 102 RWAs have agreed on a single layout plan. Out of these 162 colonies, 142 have been cleared by the ASI and 54 have obtained forest clearance.
