NEW DELHI: Political rivals jostled for credit as the Centre announced regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the capital. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the announcement as ‘Diwali gift’ to 40 lakh residents of such colonies, the Congress claimed it had set the ball rolling for regularisation of these settlements back in 2007-08.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “People living in these colonies are Indians. However, they are labelled as residents of unauthorised colonies and are deprived of basic amenities. Now, the DDA will provide ownership rights to the settlers,” Javadekar said.
However, Rajesh Lilothia, working president of Delhi Congress, said, “It was our vision. We approved the provisions for regularisation of more than 1,600 unauthorised colonies. We made them ‘unauthorised regularised colonies’ for their development.”