E-Paper
Delhi HC asks Centre to decide on Sainik Farm regularisation in two months
New DelhiThe Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and authorities concerned to take a collective decision on regularising the Sainik Farm Colony in south Delhi within two months, observing that the finalisation of the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA’s) Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2047 was likely to take more time
New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and authorities concerned to take a collective decision on regularising the Sainik Farm Colony in south Delhi within two months, observing that the finalisation of the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA’s) Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2047 was likely to take more time.
A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia passed the direction after additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the MPD 2047 had been forwarded to the Centre for approval. The law officer said that a holistic view in the matter can only be formed by the government once the plan is approved by the Centre and published.
“The preparation and approval of master plan, is a lengthy and humungous task and therefore what we understand at the moment is that finalisation of the plan by approval of the centre is likely to take some time. Even otherwise, the master plan prepared by the DDA for 2047, which is pending consideration for approval by the Centre, would become operational only on its publication of notification,” the court said in its order.
The court observed that the MPD 2047 would become operational only upon its publication by way of a notification and directed the Centre to take a call on the issue, in terms of its August 13 order, in two months, and posted the matter for November.
On August 13, the court had pulled up the Centre for its failure to take a final call on the issue and asked the authorities in the Capital to come together to take a collective decision. The court had remarked that residents, whose houses were built nearly five decades ago, remained in limbo and were unable to carry out even basic repairs.
It added, “Accordingly, we direct that the exercise which was ordered to be conducted in our order dated 13.8.2025, shall be undertaken by the authorities concerned in a period of 2 months from today. The outcome of the said exercise shall be brought on record by means of an affidavit of the ministry of housing and urban affairs.”
The court was acting on a petition filed by Ramesh Dugar, convener of the area development committee of Sainik Farm and Defence Services Enclave Residents Welfare Association, seeking regularisation of the colony and permission to carry out repairs.
In his petition filed in 2015, Dugar asserted that although the Centre and the Delhi government had implemented a policy for regularisation of unauthorised colonies, a discriminatory approach was allegedly adopted towards Sainik Farm area and they failed to take a call on the same.
In the past few years, the Centre has repeatedly asked the Delhi government to take a call on the issue and has criticised it for its failure. In April 2022, the court asked the Centre and the Delhi government to resolve the issue, saying that the current state of affairs was leading to perpetuation of gross illegality. In May 2023, the court then asked the Centre to expedite the decision and evolve a mechanism to enable the residents to carry out repairs and minor alterations etc. In February 2026, the court asked the Centre’s counsel to seek instructions regarding the time within which it would formulate a policy regarding regularisation of the colony and had reprimanded the government for its “delay” in taking a call.
