NEW DELHI: The Centre’s notification on ownership rights to settlers of unauthorised colonies came up for discussion in the Assembly on Monday. The House passed a resolution in favour of handing deeds or registries to settlers of such colonies at the earliest.
Ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sanjeev Jha brought a resolution on the issue, which was adopted by the Assembly. The resolution said people living in unauthorised colonies should be allowed to have their properties registered at the earliest and the deeds should be provided within three days from the date of submission of documents.
With the Assembly elections drawing near, the issue has become a big talking point in the city’s political circles.
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“This House expresses its deep concern about the delay in regularisation of these Colonies and it is very unfortunate that the Delhi government’s decision was kept pending by the Centre for more than four years. Recently Lok Sabha has passed a bill in relation to these unauthorised colonies and it is hoped that the Rajya Sabha, too, will pass it soon. This House believes that these 100 registries are just a Photo-Op and PR exercise for the central government to manipulate residents of unauthorised colonies (sic),” the statement said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed the BJP and the Congress for the delay in awarding ownership rights to residents of such colonies. “The parties, which have been around for ages, couldn’t do what a new party like ours did for residents of unauthorised colonies. The BJP and Congress squeezed money out of residents’ pockets for 70 years and didn’t even provide sewer lines,” Kejriwal said.
“The BJP is now promising what the Congress government of Sheila Dikshit did. People want their registries, not another piece of paper,” the CM said.