Maken challenges Kejriwal for debate on unauthorised colonies

New Delhi, Apr 13: Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of misleading people on the regularisation of unauthorised colonies, DPCC chief Ajay Maken on Monday challenged him for an open debate on the issue.

Maken also gave a two-month ultimatum to the Aam Aadmi Party government for starting the registration process in all the 1639 unauthorised colonies, failing which it would come out on the street.

Congress move comes a day after Chief Minister Kejriwal said said that previous governments did nothing for the regularisation and development of such colonies.

"Kejriwal is trying to mislead the people on the regularisation of unauthorized colonies as the process of development and regularisation of such colonies was set in motion by the Congress Governments at the Centre and in Delhi.

"The AAP government has so far made only tall and hollow promises to the people, instead of taking any concrete follow up action for their regularisation," he told reporters here.

The DPCC chief said that figures gave out by Kejriwal during a rally here were old, finalised by the Congress government, and the AAP government has only reduced the allocation for Urban Development, housing for the poor and sanitation in JJ Clusters.

"I challenge the Delhi CM for an open debate on the issue of unauthorised colonies and then, I will tell him what Congress governments have done for these colonies. Kejriwal is misleading the people on this issue," Maken said.

He said that it was the Congress Government which removed the "sword" of uncertainty hanging over the unauthorised colonies by spending crores of rupees for the development of these colonies and assure lakhs of people living there that these colonies would be regularized.

"AAP Government made a 35.6 per cent reduction in the allocation for Urban Development with the deduction of Rs 157 crores from the Rs 440 crores allocated by the previous Congress government for 2014-2015, while there was a reduction of 30.6 per cent in providing houses for the Economically Weaker Sections by reducing Rs 124 crore from the Rs 404 crore allocated by the Congress Government," he said.

Maken also said that Kejriwal was only indulging in "big talks to mislead" the people as the DDA, in a notification issued on 24th March, 2008 with the previous approval of the Congress-led Government at the Centre had specified regulations for regularization of unauthorized colonies in Delhi.

"The notification said that GNCTD may commence the development and augmentation of infrastructure facilities in public interest in colonies soon after the receipt of layout plans if it is satisfied that the colonies or part thereof fulfil the general principles contained in the Revised Guidelines 2007," the DPCC chief added.

PTI