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Ownership rights, basic amenities on the mind of voters in unauthorised colonies
New Delhi: As Delhi went to the polls on Saturday, polling locations in most unauthorised colonies in the city were abuzz with conversations suggesting how development
New Delhi: As Delhi went to the polls on Saturday, polling locations in most unauthorised colonies in the city were abuzz with conversations suggesting how development and welfare schemes focused in such colonies will be a deciding factor, assuming priority over the issue of regularisation and ownership rights for residence, which have been a recurring poll plank for parties in the Capital over two decades now.
“There is hardly any power failure exceeding two hours these days and we don’t have to spend the summers without electricity… The sewers get cleaned every day. Our lives have improved in the past few years and I will vote to reward that,” said 21-year-old Pawan Kumar, a resident of Sangam Vihar, believed to be Delhi’s largest unauthorised colony.
Kamla Prasad Jha, resident of an unauthorised colony in Burari, said: “Regularisation, legalisation, etc. have been poll planks for political parties for years now. Have their assurances and so-called action plans changed? No. Have people got ownership rights? No. But living conditions in these colonies have changed.”
The BJP-led central government had passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, to give ownership rights to over eight lakh families in 1,731 unauthorised colonies. It was one of the main poll planks of the BJP. The AAP had supported the move, however, it pointed out that merely providing ownership rights to property owners would not mean regularisation of the colonies. The party has also maintained that the Delhi government has taken up several projects to provide basic amenities in these colonies.
The Congress, during its poll campaign, said that it was the first to take up the issue of regularisation, which would also entail development on multiple fronts, including land use change over and ownership rights.
“It is true that ownership rights would bring relief from fears of demolition and would pave way for easier loans. But people look out for basics first – water, electricity, sewer, schools, etc,” said Mohammad Azeem, resident of Sri Ram Colony – an unauthorised colony in Karawal Nagar.
The main road passing through Sangam Vihar was flooded with sewer water on Saturday. Voters said they hope it will fixed like issues of water and power supply.
“If the water and sewer in our streets can improve, so will the main road that is flooded,” Neetu said, adding that the issue of ownership rights of her house didn’t weigh on her mind. “We keep hearing that during every election. I don’t even know what to trust,” said 29-year-old Neetu.
On December 16, the DDA launched a website for people to apply in order to get ownership rights over their properties in unauthorised colonies under a scheme named PM-UDAY. So far, more than 211,000 users have registered in the application website, around 1,500 have completed documentations and around 120 have been conferred ownership rights, data shared by the DDA said.
GP Tiwari, a shop owner in Raja Vihar in Rohini assembly constituency, said he has voted for better drainage and clean drinking water . Tiwari’s colony was one of the two unauthorised colonies in Delhi where the central government had started the implementation of its PM-UDAY scheme.
“Ownership is important and a big move, but we currently need better drainage. The laying of sewer line was done a few years back. But it hasn’t been connected till date. During monsoon, this area is flooded in water and sewerage. This time we have voted for better civic facilities. Moreover, the electricity and water subsidy has come as a huge relief for us,” said Tiwari.
Mohammad Akhtar, a resident of Mir Vihar, another unauthorised colony in Mundka assembly segment, too cited local issues as a major concern based on which he will vote. “It is now we have got sewer lines and better roads. There was no development in our colony for the past so many years,” said Akhtar.
