PM Modi says a law will be passed by the Parliament for unauthorised colonies in Delhi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured a delegation of over 200 people, including BJP MPs from Delhi, that a law will be enacted in the Parliament to grant ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies in the national capital.

The prime minister's remark came after the Union Cabinet last month approved a proposal to grant ownership rights to people living in 1,797 unauthorised colonies in Delhi, a move that is estimated to benefit 40 lakh people in the city. The delegation, which included residents of unauthorised colonies, activists who have been waging a struggle for such rights and BJP MPs from Delhi, met the prime minister at his residence to thank him for the recent decision to provide ownership rights on properties to the residents of these settlements.

"A law will be passed in the upcoming Winter Session of the Parliament," the Prime Minister told delegation. The meet was telecast live on the Facebook page of BJP's Delhi unit. The prime minister also congratulated Union Housing and Urban Affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri for his efforts to provide ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies and noted that the previous governments failed to do so. Delhi BJP's media relations head Neelkant Bakshi said the delegation included all seven Lok Sabha MPs of the party from Delhi and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel.

Delhi BJP president and North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari had earlier said that a Bill will be passed in the Parliament's Winter Session to give residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi ownership rights of their properties. Regularisation of unauthorised colonies has remained a major poll issue in Delhi for decades. The BJP and the ruling AAP have been vying to take credit for giving ownership rights to the people living in these settlements, ahead of Assembly elections due next year.

BJP is already holding public meetings in unauthorised colonies telling local residents about the Modi government's move to help them get ownership rights of their properties. The AAP leadership, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have claimed that it was the ruling party in Delhi that sent a proposal for regularisation of unauthorised colonies that has been accepted by the Centre.