New Delhi: Aimed at the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved regularisation of unauthorised colonies that have come up till June 1, 2014.
Informing this to mediapersons, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said, "The Cabinet decided to extend cut-off date for regularisation of unauthorised colonies from March 31, 2002 to June 31,2014."
This will provide the benefits accruing from regularisation to about seven lakh people in the unauthorised colonies that have come in existence between March 31 and June 1 this year. Around 60 lakh people living in 895 colonies will be benefited by this decision.
The government had introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill in the Lok Sabha in the recently-concluded winter session of Parliament. However, it could not be passed as the Parliament session was disrupted over bthe conversion issue.
The issue is crucial for the BJP in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections. The BJP has taken the ordinance route to please voters. While elections are likely to be held in February, the government will be required to get the Ordinance ratified in the Budget session of Parliament, which will commence in the same month. However, the government will have enough time to get the Bill ratified as the Budget session will run for a couple of months.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014 was introduced by Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, seeking extension of the existing Act for a period of three years from January 1, 2015.
The Bill was introduced against the backdrop of phenomenal growth of Delhi that has led to problems of encroachment on public land, growth of slums, unauthorised constructions, large-scale commercialisation of residential areas and inadequacy of housing stocks.
When Master Plan of Delhi-2021 was being prepared to protect certain forms of unauthorised developments from punitive action, the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 was enacted on May 19, 2006 for one year.
This was followed by similar other statutes on annual basis with the last one being the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011. This Act expires on December 31, 2014, necessitating its further extension.
Besides regularisation of unauthorised colonies, the Bill seeks to regulate street vendors, regularise unauthorised colonies, village abadi areas and their extensions and existing farm houses; regularise schools, dispensaries, religious and cultural institutions, storages, warehouses and godowns built on agricultural land.
While progress has been made in evolving the policies, norms and strategies towards implementation of the Act, more time is needed to bring in orderly arrangements keeping in view the current ground realities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD), the Bill says.
Comments
0 comment