NEW DELHI: Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday handed over conveyance deeds and registry papers of houses to 20 residents of unauthorised colonies, a significant promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the backdrop of the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The documents were given to residents from unauthorised colonies in Raja Vihar and Suraj Park at a press conference, which was attended by Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) Anil Baijal, Delhi Development Authority DDA) vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor, and other senior officers.
Puri said that Friday’s event was ‘ceremonial’, and in the coming days, more residents of unauthorised colonies will be given conveyance deeds and registry papers. He said that a special development fund (SDF) would be set up with the funds received in forms of charges of conveyance deeds and registry papers that would be used to build social development infrastructure in 1,731 colonies.
The regularisation of unauthorised settlements has been the main poll plank in every election as residents of these settlements make about 28% of electorate in Delhi. Once Congress supporters, this chunk of voters shifted their loyalty, almost in its entirety, to the AAP in 2013 and 2015.
The ruling AAP in Delhi had recently asked the residents of unauthorised colonies not to trust the BJP-led central government unless they get registry papers of their houses in their hands.
Speaking at the press conference, Puri said people had been hearing about the regularisation of unauthorised colonies for a long time as previous governments did not fulfil their promises. “Now, development will take place in these areas at a greater speed”, he said.
Rukhsana Khatoon, a beneficiary from Raja Vihar, said that she could not avail loan to reconstruct her house. “This is the biggest New Year gift ever.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi Congress labelled the event a ‘political stunt’. “DDA giving papers to 20 persons from unauthorised colonies for ownership rights is a “political stunt”. Both the BJP and AAP have been caught in a vicious grip on the issue of regularisation, and to get out this trap, they were resorting to such cheap stunts of giving fraud papers,” said Subhash Chopra, president, Delhi Congress.
‘No more fear of demolition’
Ashok Kumar Gupta, a resident of Raja Vihar, who got the document for his 70 square yard plot, said that he had been living in fear for 19 years. “There was constant threat of bulldozer. We would get notices for demolition. There will be no such fear now.”