New Delhi

MCD takes on Delhi Govt. over regularisation

NEW DELHI: Taking on the Delhi Government for its stand on regularising unauthorised colonies in the Capital, Municipal Corporation of Delhi Standing Committee Chairman Vijender Gupta on Thursday said the Government had finally “accepted” that the procedure could not be completed before the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Gupta said a letter sent to him by Delhi Urban Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan on Wednesday clearly stated that the State Government had accepted that unauthorised colonies could not be regularised before the elections.

According to Mr. Gupta, the Minister explained in his letter that directions had been issued to regularise these colonies by issuing provisional certificate and all local bodies and officials had been directed to complete the formalities within a year. An amended gazette notification in this regard had also been issued.

“If we agree with the Delhi Government, then the whole process of regularisation would be completed by May or June 2009. It is evident that the matter of regularisation of unauthorised colonies is only an election stunt to gain political mileage,” said Mr. Gupta.

He said the Minister had informed that the Delhi Government had handed over the work of demarcation of boundaries of unauthorised colonies to Indraprastha University which would com- plete it by September or October.

“As per the gazette notification dated March 24 this process would have been completed by April, but now the Delhi Government has itself accepted that this process would be completed by September or October. It clearly means that this matter has already been delayed for six months as a result of which 40 lakh citizens living in 1,400 unauthorised colonies are facing difficulties,” Mr. Gupta added.

According to Mr. Gupta, the Minister claimed that as per directions of the Union Government layout plans submitted by the residents’ welfare associations were handed over to the MCD in January so that formalities for regularisation could be completed.

“The layout plans started coming in from January and continued to pour in for two months. To think that layout plans can be scrutinised within two months is a mistake,” Mr. Gupta added.

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