Bill in Lok Sabha to regularise unauthorised Delhi colonies

New Delhi: Aiming at regularisation of unauthorised colonies and rehabilitation of slum dwellers and Jhuggi-Jhopri (slum) clusters in Delhi, a bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill 2014, was introduced by Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, seeking extension of the existing Act for a period of three years from January 1, 2015.

The bill was introduced against the backdrop of phenomenal growth of Delhi that has led to problems of encroachment on public land, growth of slums, unauthorised constructions, large scale commercialisation of residential areas and inadequacy of housing stocks.

When Master Plan of Delhi-2021 was being prepared to protect certain forms of unauthorised developments from punitive action, the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 was enacted on May 19, 2006 for one year.

This was followed by similar other statutes on annual basis with the last one being the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011. This Act expires on December 31, 2014, necessitating its further extension.

Besides regularisation of unauthorised colonies, the bill seeks to regulate street vendors, regularise unauthorised colonies, village abadi areas and their extensions and existing farm houses; regularise schools, dispensaries, religious and cultural institutions, storages, warehouses and godowns built on agricultural land.

While progress has been made in evolving the policies, norms and strategies towards implementation of the Act, more time is needed to bring in orderly arrangements keeping in view the current ground realities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD), the bill says.

The norms, policies and guidelines for unauthorised developments, including complexities in regularising unauthorised colonies, may also need to be appropriately modified to bring them in conformity with revised MPD-2021.

The object and reasons of the bill says that in view of these circumstances extension of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 for a period of three years from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 is required.