Empower us to regularise unauthorised colonies: NDMC to Union Development Minister

New Delhi, July 4: The North Delhi Municipal Corporation today asked the Union Urban Development Ministry to consider a slew of demands including bringing Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board back in its fold and power to regularise unauthorised colonies under its jurisdiction.

The civic body's demands were put forward during a meeting of its mayor Yogender Chandolia and chairman of the standing committee Mohan Bhardwaj today with Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

"The NDMC be empowered to regularise the unauthorised colonies. The buildings in such colonies be regularised in the current form if they meet the safety norms; 50 per cent subsidy be provided in development fees of these colonies and the corporation be provided with required funds for development of these colonies," the NDMC today said.

Among other demands, the corporation asked for simplification of building bylaws and regularisation of such buildings, which are in compliance with safety norms. "Other demands include -- building plans be passed in the extended 'lal dora' areas; urban and rural villages in basic 'lal dora' areas be exempted from building plan approval; regularisation of extension of roofs and shades after charging a fixed amount," it said in a statement.

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) should be brought back under the jurisdiction of the north corporation and the ownership of the occupied properties be given to the legal body on a fixed amount, and the corporation be given adequate funds for their development, it said.

Procedural relocation of JJ clusters and funds be allocated to the corporation for it; all drains falling under the areas of NDMC be handed over to the corporation and adequate funds be also provided for their upkeep; and roads wider than 60-ft, which were taken over by the Delhi government, should be given back to to north corporation, it said.

For relief of the citizens from multiplicity of civic agencies, the corporation leaders also suggested to Naidu that works related to water and sewage, heritage conservation, horticulture activities of other civic agencies, bridges, development of drains, sanctioning of building plans, pollution control, and drainage and flood control be included under the compelling duties of the civic body.

PTI