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Delhi Budget: Rs 1,793 cr for housing & urban development

Delhi Government has announced a slum redevelopment policy to develop the JJ clusters and expedite the regularisation of unauthorised colonies to boost housing and urban development in the national capital

Arvind kejriwal

NEW DELHI, June 25: To boost housing and urban development in the national capital, the Delhi government today announced a budget of Rs 1,793 crore, 32 percent more than last year, a slum redevelopment policy to develop the JJ clusters and expedite the regularisation of unauthorised colonies. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also announced that the government will also expedite the process of registration of unauthorised colonies and soon come up with guidelines for registration of houses there. He said the government will also ensure freehold rights to people in resettlement colonies. To check unauthorised construction in future in Delhi, Sisodia said Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) will provide satellite image data on a regular interval to Revenue Department clearly marking new encroachment/unauthorised construction for appropriate action by authorities. Sisodia said the government will make "concerted" efforts to deal with the issue of housing and come with a slum development programme. "Our Government proposes to utilise the available stock of housing and vacant lands for kick-starting a slum redevelopment program. Towards this end, efforts would be made in consultation and cooperation with DDA, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India and other stakeholders including private developers, and housing as a sector and as a basic human need of residents of Delhi, would be furthered. "It would be our effort to provide housing to slum dwellers wherever they are residing or close to their place of work, as far as feasible. We shall bring out a policy framework for development of slum clusters and to provide in-situ development of slum clusters," Sisodia said in his budget speech. To address the problem of unauthorised colonies, the government said it will ensure that the people are able to transact in their assets legally and register their properties without any insecurity. "For six pilot unauthorised colonies, we will be sending the boundary maps to the Municipal Corporations in the next few days. We will also bring about guidelines for registration rates in the next couple of weeks. We will also provide basic infrastructure in these colonies. "For regularisation of unauthorised colonies and providing basic facilities in these colonies, Government has decided to undertake TSM survey under the supervision of Revenue Department so that boundaries of these colonies can be determined. Thereafter, layout plans shall be sent to Municipal Corporations for approval," Sisodia said. He added the mapping of development works already carried out and required to be carried out in unauthorised colonies will be done, so that decision on undertaking new development works in these colonies can be prioritised. AAP had promised to address the issue of resettlement colonies during the polls and had said it will ensure freehold rights to people residing there. "We have already resolved in the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) that original allottees and their legal heirs will get freehold rights at the rate of 10,000 per square metre and all others at the rate of 50,000 per square metre. This will give them great support and relief from exploitation," the Deputy Chief Minister said. Sisodia said about 23,000 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) houses have already been constructed and about 29,000 EWS houses are under different stages of construction and a policy would be announced shortly for allotment of these. To address the issue of decongestion of Delhi city, Sisodia said the government will also pursue various policy choices available for this purpose, including early completion of Western Peripheral Expressway, Regional Rapid Train systems, Metro Phase III-IV, Transit Oriented Development, improvement of road and work infrastructure etc