Delhi govt proposes parameters to regularise unauthorised colonies

The Delhi government on Wednesday proposed a set of parameters to regularise 1,797 unauthorised colonies, which include charging one per cent cost of land circle rate for up to 200 square metre plot from occupants besides a nominal penalty.

An occupant having more than 200 sq metre plot will have pay the two per cent of circle rate as the land cost apart from penalty, which will be nearly half of the circle rate.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government was yet to finalise stamp duty to be levied on the registry of properties, asserting that the AAP dispensation has accepted all conditions of Centre, and also sent 12 suggestions to it.

In its suggestions, the Delhi government has asked Centre to fix the new cut-off date of March, 2019 for ownership rights instead of January 1, 2015 (having more than 50 per cent built up area) as defined by the Union government for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies.

Asked about Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri accusing the Delhi government of trying to take credit of regularising these colonies, Kejriwal said that the Centre can take credit, but the AAP dispensation just wants regularisation done so that people living there can get their rights.

About 50 lakh people live in unauthorised colonies across Delhi, which has a total population of nearly 1.2 crore. The decision of regularisation will play a vital role in the run-up to the assembly polls scheduled for early next year.

"The central government should allow registry of properties in these colonies at the earliest, relying on the satellite images or RWA's maps to fix boundaries in unauthorised colonies," Kejriwal told reporters here.

According to the chief minister, the Centre in its Union Cabinet has proposed to charge one per cent of circle rate of nearest colonies, but the AAP dispensation has requested it that lowest circle rate of nearest colonies should be applicable.

In Delhi, there are three types of land - government land, agriculture land and private land - where unauthorised colonies have come up.

Delhi has been divided into eight categories (A-H) where circle rates are charged accordingly.

For instance, if an unauthorised colony falls near the A category colony having circle rate of 7,74,000 per square metre, an owner, who has a plot of up to 200 sq metre plot, will have to pay 7,740 per sq metre (one per cent of circle rate) as the land cost, besides 3,870 per sq metre penalty, taking the total amount to 11,610 per square metres.

"However, we have suggested the central government to create lowest category for unauthorised colony so that they do not have pay much because of expensive circle rate of particular category colony," state Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain said.

The chief minister said that in the first phase, 1,797 unauthorised colonies will be regularised and in second phase, rest of colonies will be regularised.

In the second phase, a list of unauthorised colonies which have come up till July 1, 2019 will be prepared, and a process will separately be started for their regularisation.

According to suggestions sent to the Centre, there should be mixed use of land to allow commercial activities in unauthorised colonies. Also, an owner of plot should be provided loan by the bank.

Those residents who have got general power of attorney (GPA) till January 30, 2019 should also be given ownership rights, it stated.

However, the suggestions also stated that in future, if any unauthorised colonies come up, the service of the area's Sub Divisional Magistrate, Station House Officer and municipal officer should be terminated.

Kejriwal said that three affluent unauthorised colonies -- Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anant Ram Dairy -- should also be regulairsed in the first phase.

Colonies which have not come up on forest land and ASI patches should be regularised, he said.

Kejriwal said that government will abolish Rule 81 of the Land Acquisition Act, which will mean that villages in the national capital would no longer be apprehensive of getting notices under the provision.

On Tuesday, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said that it would issue an order to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi within a month.

Puri on Tuesday termed as "incorrect" Kejriwal's claim that the Centre has approved the Delhi government's proposal on the issue sent in November, 2015.