Bill on unauthorised colonies introduced in Lok Sabha: Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi : A bill which seeks to provide a legal framework to grant ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 in the House.

The proposal to grant ownership rights is applicable to 1,797 identified unauthorised colonies spread over 175 square-km of the national capital inhabited by people from lower income groups.

The decision is politically significant as it will benefit millions of poor migrants who hold the key to the Assembly election due early next year and had backed the AAP in large numbers in the 2015 Delhi polls. The Union Cabinet had approved the Bill on November 20.

Last week, Puri had said that people living in unauthorised colonies in the national capital would be able to apply for ownership rights starting December 16. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told some representatives of welfare associations of these colonies that a bill would be brought to implement the decision.

The AAP government in Delhi had accused the Centre of not bringing the bill as promised. According to the existing regulations of 2008, the process of regularisation was to be coordinated and supervised by the Delhi government.