Centre okays legalising 917 colonies in Delhi
28 Aug 2012 7:02 AM IST
Decks were cleared on Monday for the regularisation of 917 unauthorised residential colonies in the national capital. This decision was reached at a high-level meeting between the union urban development minister Kamal Nath and the Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit late on Monday. The notification of the order is likely to be made on Tuesday afternoon.
This would be the first regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the last 35 years. According to the Delhi government sources last such notification was made under the direction of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in the late 1970s.
Earlier these colonies were given provisional regularisation certificates ahead of the assembly poll in 2008.
Sources said that Nath gave nod to Dikshit, as the Delhi government had completed all ground work for regularisation of these colonies and the centre would take care of the issues pending in the Delhi high court about this process. The source added that the city government would inform the court about the regularisation process if that piece of information is sought from it.
The source said that the Delhi government would also present all the details about the remaining unauthorised colonies to the urban development ministry, so that they can also be regularised soon.
The officials said that the union ministry had also approved a proposal to grant freehold rights to residents of 45 resettlement colonies which were developed almost 50 years ago. The original allottees and their legal heirs will have to pay five per cent of the existing circle rates for converting the properties to free hold, while occupants who purchased properties prior to 31 March 2007 will have to pay 30 per cent of circle rate for the them.
DIKSHIT’S POLL VAULT: RESHUFFLES CABINET TO REGULARISE COLONIES
In an attempt to give a push to the process of regularisation of unauthorised colonies – which would affect nearly 40 lakh people, a major chunk of voters for the upcoming assembly elections – Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has reshuffled portfolios among her ministers. The revenue and urban development departments have been taken away from senior most member of the cabinet, A K Walia, and has been handed over to the youngest member of the cabinet, Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Lovely has also been given the charge of directorate of local bodies, another crucial department that oversees the functioning of the three newly created municipal bodies.
Contrary to the expectations, no minister has been dropped from the cabinet but major change has been carried out to make distribution of responsibilities more equitable. Lovely’s earlier portfolios education and transport departments were given to professor Kiran Walia and Ramakant Goswami respectively. A K Walia will, however, continue to hold charge of health, labour and flood and irrigation departments.
Dikshit loyalist Goswami’s industries department has been handed over to Haroon Yusuf, who is already holding the charge of power and food and civil supplies departments. Kiran Walia would continue to hold social welfare, women and child development.
R K Chauhan, despite being mired in controversy – due to various graft allegations by Lokayukta – has not only managed to retain the departments of PWD and SC/ST, he’s also been given additional charge of development department, which was earlier with Yusuf.
Dikshit has kept the departments of finance, home and higher education with herself.
Sources close to Dikshit said the change in portfolios has been effected to infuse fresh energy into the working of the government ahead of next year’s assembly elections. The last reshuffle had taken place in February 2011, when Dikshit brought Goswami into the cabinet while dropping Mangat Ram Singhal.
The communication on the allocation of new portfolios of the ministers has been sent to the Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna’s office, the sources said.
SHEILA SEEKS US HELP FOR HOUSING FOR POOR
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday sought assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for an ambitious project to build houses for the economically weaker sections of people in the capital.
Dikshit made the request to USAID authorities in the presence of US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell at a function to release a report on 'Making Health Systems Work for Urban Poor' in the city. Lauding the 'Mission Convergence' programme of the Congress-ruled Delhi government, which is being implemented with technical assistance from USAID, the chief minister said her administration was open to ideas that would improve health and wealth conditions of the urban poor.
'Housing is another area. I don't know whether the USAID will help us in this regard. But I would want them to assist in building houses for the economically weaker sections of the society. There are shanties all over Delhi and we have to take care of them as well. We have to build them houses,' said Dikshit.
Later, speaking to reporters, Powell said the USAID was looking at innovative ideas and programmes to help the urban poor in several countries and that the request by Dikshit on the housing project could come in that. Dikshit said the government reaches out to its vulnerable citizens for their inclusion in the governance process and provides training through Mission Convergence.
The chief minister also asked NGOs and others involved in the programme to work towards correcting the sex-ratio and listed the initiatives taken by her government to make women 'economically viable for the family'. In her speech, Powell lauded the progress India has made in the past few years in health care systems but said many challenges remain in this sector.
'Since India has a very vibrant private sector, new products and processes should begin from this country and the USAID will help in this regard. Mission Convergence is a powerful and effective approach. India is a proven incubator for development and the USAID would continue to work with India on developmental issues,' Powell said.
This would be the first regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the last 35 years. According to the Delhi government sources last such notification was made under the direction of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in the late 1970s.
Earlier these colonies were given provisional regularisation certificates ahead of the assembly poll in 2008.
Sources said that Nath gave nod to Dikshit, as the Delhi government had completed all ground work for regularisation of these colonies and the centre would take care of the issues pending in the Delhi high court about this process. The source added that the city government would inform the court about the regularisation process if that piece of information is sought from it.
The source said that the Delhi government would also present all the details about the remaining unauthorised colonies to the urban development ministry, so that they can also be regularised soon.
The officials said that the union ministry had also approved a proposal to grant freehold rights to residents of 45 resettlement colonies which were developed almost 50 years ago. The original allottees and their legal heirs will have to pay five per cent of the existing circle rates for converting the properties to free hold, while occupants who purchased properties prior to 31 March 2007 will have to pay 30 per cent of circle rate for the them.
DIKSHIT’S POLL VAULT: RESHUFFLES CABINET TO REGULARISE COLONIES
In an attempt to give a push to the process of regularisation of unauthorised colonies – which would affect nearly 40 lakh people, a major chunk of voters for the upcoming assembly elections – Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has reshuffled portfolios among her ministers. The revenue and urban development departments have been taken away from senior most member of the cabinet, A K Walia, and has been handed over to the youngest member of the cabinet, Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Lovely has also been given the charge of directorate of local bodies, another crucial department that oversees the functioning of the three newly created municipal bodies.
Contrary to the expectations, no minister has been dropped from the cabinet but major change has been carried out to make distribution of responsibilities more equitable. Lovely’s earlier portfolios education and transport departments were given to professor Kiran Walia and Ramakant Goswami respectively. A K Walia will, however, continue to hold charge of health, labour and flood and irrigation departments.
Dikshit loyalist Goswami’s industries department has been handed over to Haroon Yusuf, who is already holding the charge of power and food and civil supplies departments. Kiran Walia would continue to hold social welfare, women and child development.
R K Chauhan, despite being mired in controversy – due to various graft allegations by Lokayukta – has not only managed to retain the departments of PWD and SC/ST, he’s also been given additional charge of development department, which was earlier with Yusuf.
Dikshit has kept the departments of finance, home and higher education with herself.
Sources close to Dikshit said the change in portfolios has been effected to infuse fresh energy into the working of the government ahead of next year’s assembly elections. The last reshuffle had taken place in February 2011, when Dikshit brought Goswami into the cabinet while dropping Mangat Ram Singhal.
The communication on the allocation of new portfolios of the ministers has been sent to the Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna’s office, the sources said.
SHEILA SEEKS US HELP FOR HOUSING FOR POOR
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday sought assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for an ambitious project to build houses for the economically weaker sections of people in the capital.
Dikshit made the request to USAID authorities in the presence of US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell at a function to release a report on 'Making Health Systems Work for Urban Poor' in the city. Lauding the 'Mission Convergence' programme of the Congress-ruled Delhi government, which is being implemented with technical assistance from USAID, the chief minister said her administration was open to ideas that would improve health and wealth conditions of the urban poor.
'Housing is another area. I don't know whether the USAID will help us in this regard. But I would want them to assist in building houses for the economically weaker sections of the society. There are shanties all over Delhi and we have to take care of them as well. We have to build them houses,' said Dikshit.
Later, speaking to reporters, Powell said the USAID was looking at innovative ideas and programmes to help the urban poor in several countries and that the request by Dikshit on the housing project could come in that. Dikshit said the government reaches out to its vulnerable citizens for their inclusion in the governance process and provides training through Mission Convergence.
The chief minister also asked NGOs and others involved in the programme to work towards correcting the sex-ratio and listed the initiatives taken by her government to make women 'economically viable for the family'. In her speech, Powell lauded the progress India has made in the past few years in health care systems but said many challenges remain in this sector.
'Since India has a very vibrant private sector, new products and processes should begin from this country and the USAID will help in this regard. Mission Convergence is a powerful and effective approach. India is a proven incubator for development and the USAID would continue to work with India on developmental issues,' Powell said.
Next Story
