LS passes bill to extend deadline for protection of unauthorised Delhi colonies

A bill to extend the deadline of a law to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital till 2020 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Bill was passed after a reply by Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, amid protest by Congress members over controversial remarks by Union Minister Anant Hegde that the ruling BJP was "here to change the Constitution" and remove the word "secular" from it and and also demands by the TRS members for a separate High Court for Telangana.

The Bill will extend the validity of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 for three years from January 1, 2018 -- the current deadline for relocation and rehabilitation of slums and other unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

Earlier, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014, which was passed by Parliament in December 2014, had extended the deadline till December 31, 2017.

The law also provides for protection against punitive action by any local authority.

As the Lower House took up the bill with New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi initiating the debate, amid a ruckus and noisy scenes, the House was adjourned briefly.

--IANS

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