LS passes Bill to regularise Delhi's unauthorised colonies

Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri moved the National Capital of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the House for consideration and passage hitting out at the Opposition for delaying the process which began in 2006.

Puri said that the process of identifying unauthorised colonies in Delhi was started in 2006 but all the ruling governments between 2006 and 2014 here did nothing for the people of the national capital.

"This problem is very known as Delhi's population increased from 8 lakh in 1947 to 1.6 crore as per latest census," Puri said, adding he expect that the population of Delhi will be close to 2 crore or more in the next census this year.

The Bill was passed by the Lower House after a brief discussion. 

Puri said the Bill aims to provide relief to the citizens of Delhi who were neglected for years on the issue by the previous governments.

The government introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on February 8, which seeks to replace the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

The Ordinance was promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 30, 2020. It amended the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 which was valid till December 31, 2020.

The Ordinance extended the deadline to December 31, 2023. 

The 2011 Act provided for the regularisation of the unauthorised colonies that existed in the national capital as on March 31, 2002 and where construction took place till June 1, 2014.

The Ordinance amended this to provide that the unauthorised colonies will be identified for regularisation in accordance with the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019 and the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Regulations, 2019.

Therefore, the unauthorised colonies that existed as on June 1, 2014 and had witnessed 50 per cent development as on January 1, 2015 will be eligible for regularisation.