Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Act, 2023 in Lok Sabha extending the validity of the said Act for a period of three years from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026. The Act aims to protect certain forms of unauthorised developments in Delhi from punitive action. Puri introduced the bill, which extends the protection given to unauthorised buildings till 2026.

The Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 was enacted on the May 19, 2006, initially for a period of one year, to protect certain forms of unauthorised developments in Delhi from punitive action. This protection to various forms of unauthorised developments in Delhi has continued thereafter, through Ordinances and Acts enacted from time to time.

"The phenomenal growth of the National Capital Territory of Delhi over the last many years has led to increase in demand for housing, commercial space and other civic amenities. The gap in the demand and supply has resulted in the problems of encroachment on public land, growth of slums, unauthorised constructions, etc," as per the statement of objects and reasons of the said Act.

It further said in the year 2011, a comprehensive legislation, namely, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011, was enacted which was valid for a period of three years upto 31st December, 2014. The validity of this Act has been extended from time to time with such modification as were necessary and the current validity is upto  December 31, 2023.

 As per the provisions of the 2011 Act, orderly arrangements had to be made for relocation and rehabilitation of slum dwellers and

Jhuggi-Jhompri clusters; unauthorised colonies, village abadi area (inculding urban villages) and their extensions; farm houses involving construction beyond permissible building limits; schools, dispensaries, religious and cultural institutions, storages, warehouses and godowns used for agricultural inputs or produce (including dairy and poultry) in

rural areas built on agricultural land; guidelines for

redevelopment of existing godown clusters (including those for a storage of non-agricultural goods); special areas and policy or plan for orderly arrangement in all other areas of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in consonance with the Master Plan on its review.