With the BJP eyeing a major chunk of votes residing in the unauthorised colonies, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking to carry out development works in 312 such colonies.
It has also directed the Municipal Commissioner to ensure that no other agency carries out any work in these areas. leader of House in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Subhash Arya said once a colony gets notified for regularisation, it gets the status of Unauthorised Regularised (UR) colony.
“As per the rules, only the concerned civic bodies are entitled to carry out development work in UR colonies. Therefore, the agencies of Delhi Government cannot carry development work. We have directed the Commissioner to ensure that no other agency should be allowed to carry out development work in the colonies falling in the limits of SDMC,” said Arya. The aim moves at preventing Delhi Government and its agencies from carrying out development work in these areas as people residing here are considered traditional voters of the Congress.
Apart from the development fund earmarked in the budgetary proposals of the corporation, funds of only councillors, MlAs and MPs could be used for development in UR colonies, he added. Delhi Government had regularised 895 colonies last year, out of which 312 had come up on private land. The Government has allowed development and clearance of layout plan of the 312 colonies in the first phase. Out of 312 colonies, 183 fall within territorial jurisdiction of South Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Funds of several agencies of Delhi government like DSIIDC, Slum Area Development Board and Trans Yamuna Development Board are used in development in unauthorized colonies. Meanwhile, the corporation has also decided to expedite the process of making the local area plan of all the municipal wards. The work of preparing the local area plan as per the Delhi Master Plan was initiated by the unified MCD.
“Currently, the work of preparing local area plan is going on in only 32 wards across the three corporations. However, now the Chief Town Planner and the concerned department to prepare the local area plan of all the 104 wards of SDMC at the earliest,” said Arya.