Cabinet decides to regularise all illegal Delhi colonies

The union cabinet Monday decided to regularise all illegal settlement colonies that came up in the national capital till June 1 this year, in a move that will benefit an expected 60 lakh people in the poll-bound Delhi.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the move was a "drama" to fool the people ahead of the assembly polls, which are expected to be held early next year.

"The union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (Monday) approved amendment to the existing guidelines that enables regularisation of all unauthorised colonies that have come up till June 1, 2014, namely extension of cut-off date for regularisation from March 31, 2002 to June 1, 2014," an official release said.

"This will provide the benefits accruing from regularisation to a large number of people in unauthorised colonies...," it added.

The government claimed that 60 lakh people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi will benefit from the decision.

Reacting to the government's decision, the Congress said it was a drama as "the BJP could see its defeat in the upcoming Delhi elections".

Delhi Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma told IANS that the Bharatiya Janata Party was doing it to win the Delhi assembly elections.

"The BJP is an enemy of unauthorised colonies in the city... if they were serious in regularising them, why did they not regularise them all?" he asked.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia also criticised the government, saying "it was all drama".

"Earlier, the Congress tried to befool the people on the issue and now they (BJP) are also doing same," he told reporters.

"If there is an act, then provisions of the act should be put in front of the people. Then we would know whether this is going to benefit the people," he said.

Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in February next year.