NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has allocated a sum of Rs 902 crore for the upliftment of nearly 1800 unauthorised colonies in the national capital as part of the budget estimates presented by the finance minister on Monday.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Atishi said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has worked at a war footing to change the situation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi.
Notably, a large part of Delhi’s population resides in unauthorized colonies. There are approximately 1800 unauthorized colonies in Delhi, which hosts 30% of the city’s population.
1,031 of these unauthorised colonies are now connected to the city’s 4,243 km sewerage network, the finance minister said, adding that after 2014, the AAP government constructed 2,422 km of water pipelines and 3,100 km of sewer pipelines.
“There was a time when the governments were indifferent to the condition of those residing in unauthorised colonies, who were left to fend for themselves. Then, governments only remembered them when seeking votes. There was no drinking water, no roads, no sewerage, and no drains in these colonies,” the minister said.
Atishi said the unauthorised colonies remained ignored under previous regimes, “surrounded by filth and garbage.” Most of the inhabitants of these colonies are migrants who had come to Delhi with dreams of a better life but were compelled to live in substandard conditions, she said.
However, since 2015, the AAP government has made it their priority to develop the infrastructure in unauthorised colonies to ensure that the people residing there have a dignified life, the minister claimed.
“Along with increasing drains and water lines in unauthorised colonies, the Kejriwal government has built 5,175 kilometers of roads in 1,355 such colonies,” Atishi said.
5,175 kilometre Road network in colonies
Since assuming power, the AAP government has developed infrastructure in unauthorised colonies, Atishi claimed. “Along with increasing drains and water lines in unauthorised colonies, the AAP government has built 5,175 kilometers of roads in 1,355 such colonies,” Atishi said.