Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recently chaired a meeting to assess the progress of regularizing unauthorized colonies and rehabilitating slum dwellers in the capital. Attendees included the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (PWD), Vice Chairman (DDA), and Commissioner (MCD).
The meeting focused on reviewing the status of works related to the regularization of unauthorized colonies and the rehabilitation of slum dwellers under the PM-UDAY and PMAY (Urban) initiatives. LG Saxena emphasized the need for specific timelines for the complete implementation of PM-UDAY, PMAY, and the Land Pooling Policy of the DDA.
Issues such as ambiguity in the boundaries of unauthorized colonies, repeated extensions of cut-off dates, and uncertainty in notified slum clusters were discussed. The meeting acknowledged that these challenges, coupled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, had delayed the progress.
Saxena urged officials to develop a concrete time-bound plan for the registration, verification, and subsequent regularization of unauthorized colonies, emphasizing the importance of simplifying and streamlining the process. He warned against any dereliction or corruption in this regard.
Regarding the rehabilitation of slums, LG directed the DDA to promptly identify alternative sites within a 5 km radius where in situ rehabilitation was not feasible. Slum dwellers were to be relocated to flats or houses already constructed under various schemes, ensuring a dignified life for them.
Delhi LG Saxena also instructed officials to ensure that the entire plan should be put into place within a month and concrete action should start immediately. He stressed that all tasks should be completed at least a year earlier than the outer limit of 2026, as provided in the NCTD Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2023 recently passed by Parliament.