Delhi for developing 450 unauthorised colonies

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The Delhi government Thursday decided to seek the approval of the union urban development ministry to carry out development works in 450 unauthorised colonies, which are not eligible for any public work.

The decision was taken in cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

"We are committed to regularise all unauthorised colonies and to carry out developmental works in such colonies in order to improve the standard of living of the large number of the residents," Dikshit said.

Earlier, only those unauthorised colonies were considered eligible for development work where 50 percent plots had been built up by 2007.

In 2007, a total of 450 unauthorised colonies did not qualify for development work as the built plots were not 50 percent.

"These colonies have now become eligible for consideration as the percentage of built-up plots has crossed 50 percent and is touching around 90 percent. We will take up the matter with the urban development ministry," Dikshit told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The Congress government in Delhi had issued provisional regularisation certificates to over 1,600 illegal colonies in the city ahead of the state assembly polls in 2008.

However, the move hung fire till 2012, when Dikshit took up the matter with the central government. She got the go-ahead to regularise 917 unauthorised colonies in September, 2012.