Cabinet approves regularisation of 1500 colonies

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) Providing much-awaited relief to about 30 lakh people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi, the Union Cabinet today approved regularisation of 1500 such colonies and allowed mixed land use in residential area to provide more space to traders.

Making the announcement at a press conference, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said the people in unauthorised colonies which had come up on private land had also been exempted from paying any development charges.

The government felt that they had paid the money to the seller at the time of purchase of the land, he said, adding that this would cover at least 80 per cent of the people living in unauthorised colonies for over three decades.

But those living in colonies which had come up on government land would have to pay development charges, to be fixed by the government, he said, clarifying that it was being done as the government had paid the money while it had acquired the land from the farmers.

The cabinet would take up the issue of regularisation of 'affluent' unauthorised colonies of Anantram Dairy, Sainik Farms and Mahendra Enclave later, Mr Reddy said.

''This is because the K K Mathur Committee that had studied their cases submitted its report only recently, and there was not enough time to look into it.'' Similarly, the government had recognised the demand of traders body for more space, Mr Reddy said, terming ''Delhi is a traders city and their demand was genuine.'' Asked if the regularisation of unauthorised colonies would stand scrutiny of law, the Urban Development Minister said that he was confident that there would be no objection by the Court and they had provision for regularisation of such colonies in the Master Plan for Delhi-2021, which was notified yesterday. The new Master Plan projects that the population of Delhi would be around 2.20-2.30 crore.

Mr Reddy also clarified that the MPD-2021 would however be subject to review every five years.

Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken who was also present at the press conference, said that while preparing the MPD-2021, they had taken care of and made provisions for meeting the demand water, electricity, road and other amenities in the area.

Elaborating on mixed land use, Mr Reddy said retail shops had been allowed in residential plots on ground floor on mixed use streets and commercial activit on all floors on commercial streets. In addition, small retail shops of upto 20 square metre had been allowed on ground floor, in residential areas, including group housing, A and B colonies, village abadis and unauthorized colonies.

The Master Plan also allows clinics and dispensaries permissible within 20 sq metre area in residential area.

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