The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is in a dilemma over the acceptance of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the unauthorised colonies in the national capital. The report has virtually struck down the provisional regularisation certificates issued to 1,200 colonies by the previous Congress government, just ahead of the assembly elections in 2008.
In June 2008, Delhi Development of Authority (DDA) had added clause 4.6.1, 4.6.2 and 4.6.3 to the Regulations of 2008 for regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. These clauses allowed the government of Delhi to issue a provisional regularisation certificate (PRC) to unauthorised colonies that fulfilled the requirements of the Clause 4 of the regulations. The PCR were issued by the Delhi government in September, 2008, as per the date mentioned on the certificates found in individual files, says the report. The reasons and motive behind the issuing of PCR have not been clarified to the auditor.‘However, it is clear that the issue of PCR does not change the status of the colony as the secretary (UD) stated that there was no pre-condition for issuing of provisional regularisation certificate before regularisation of unauthorised colony. Thus, the expenditure incurred on issue of PCR was unfruitful expenditure and an excess burden on the exchequer. The details of the expenditure incurred on issue of PCR have not been provided to audit,’ says the report, whose acceptance would jeopardise the process of regularisation.
As per the added sub-clause 4.6.1 of the regulation 2008, the local body/DDA and Delhi government were to complete the prescribed formalities before formal regularisation of the unauthorised colonies as prescribed under Clause -5 of the regularisations within a period of 12 months from the date of issue of PCR. Since more than five years have passed since the issue of PRC, the CAG questions the whole idea of taking forward the regularisation process.
According to Delhi Congress president and urban development minister in last government Arvinder Singh Lovely, 895 colonies have been regularised and permission for development work given in another 532 colonies. He is of the opinion that suitable steps should be taken to take forward the regularisation of development process.