The Union Cabinet on Thursday constituted a 10-member committee under Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal to recommend the process of granting ownership and transfer rights to residents in 1,797 unauthorised colonies that are home to nearly a third of the Capital’s population. 

Announcing the decision, Union housing and urban affairs minister of state Hardeep Singh Puri said the committee will submit its report to the ministry within 90 days. 

“Nearly 30% of Delhi’s population lives in these colonies. We have made several efforts to get the Delhi government moving on the regularisation issue. But they have been delaying the process,” said Puri. “The committee under the LG will suggest the approach and modalities for conferring the ownership rights to people.”

The Union cabinet’s decision comes at a time when the announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha elections, which will entail the enforcement of the model code of conduct, is expected soon.

....

Apart from the L-G, the committee will consist of DDA vice-chairperson, additional secretary of the ministry of housing & urban affairs, Delhi chief secretary, commissioners of east, north and south Delhi municipal corporations, Prof PSN Rao, who is chairperson of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission, Prof Sanjay Gupta from the School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), Jagan Shah from National Institute of Urban Affairs, GC Mishra who is director, Delhi Fire Services, and DDA principal commissioner.

Residents of some unauthorised colonies have, however, kept their expectations low. “Considering that the elections are near, this does not come as a surprise,” said Shiv Kumar, 62, a resident of an unauthorised colony in Delhi’s Sagarpur area.

Regularisation of unauthorised colonies has been part of the election manifesto of all political parties since 2008. “Unauthorised colonies have been a political issue for every party over the past many years. But nothing has changed. How can one afford to have high hopes now?” he said.

....