Unauthorised colony residents to have ownership rights, Central nod soon: Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday said residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi will soon have ownership rights of their houses, while claiming that the Centre has agreed to the AAP government's proposal in this regard.

The Centre's approval will be received "very soon", he said.

A proposal for regularisation of unauthorised colonies and ownership rights to its residents was passed by the Delhi Cabinet on November 2, 2015. A letter in this regard was sent to the Centre November 12 that year.

"I'm happy to announce that a very positive reply to the proposal was received by us from the Centre on Wednesday. The Centre is ready to regularise the unauthorise colonies. I want to thank the Centre on the behalf of the Delhi people," the chief minister said at a press conference.

Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain said that according to the Delhi government's proposal, 1,797 colonies are to be regularised and the cut-off date for registry of properties will be January 1, 2015.

The AAP government started work on giving ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies as soon it came to power, he said.

Kejriwal said the Centre, in its response, has raised some questions which will be replied to by the Delhi government in three to four days.

"I held a meeting with the chief secretary and officers concerned, directing them to submit answers to these questions as per satisfaction of the Centre. There should not be any other obstacle now and Centre would soon approve it paving way for registries of properties in unauthorised colonies," the chief minister said.

The questions are technical in nature but will not raise any obstruction will occur, he said, adding issues such as fixing boundaries of unauthorised colonies are being sorted out.

"We have been trying for this for the last four to five years, and I feel the Centre must also have been trying it. I do not think it's time to discuss why it was delayed or who delayed it. It's good that the things are moving ahead," the chief minister said.

The AAP dispensation is in the process of spending around Rs 6,000 crore on amenities such as water supply, sewers and roads in unauthorised colonies that were neglected both by the Centre and the previous Delhi governments, he said.

Asked whether the AAP government was moving close to BJP-ruled Centre after the Lok Sabha polls, Kejriwal said his party never wants fight with anyone.

"It has never been our objective to fight any individual, party or government. The national capital's development will take place only when the Delhi government and Centre work together.

"It has always been our effort to work along with the Centre. Many proposals are getting cleared now and it's a very good thing," he said.

Last month, L-G Anil Baijal-led panel for recommending the process for granting ownership and transfer rights to the residents of Delhi's unauthorised colonies submitted its report to Union Minister of state for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.

The committee was formed by the Centre in March and was asked to submit its report within 90 days.