New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) North Delhi Municipal Corporation standing committee chairman Yogender Chandolia Wednesday dismissed as a political gimmick the Delhi Government’s announcement of regularising unauthorised colonies without the approval of layout plans.
“This announcement is a political gimmick and another move to mislead the lakhs of citizens residing in these colonies since 2008,” he said in a statement.
Rejecting the state government’s claim that the union government had granted it the authority to regularise the colonies without approved layout plans, Chandolia said that only the municipal corporation had the right to pass the layouts.
“Layout plans can only be approved by the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The Delhi government in any case has no right to breach this right,” he claimed.
Chandolia said that if Delhi Government sends layout plans after fulfilling all the formalities to the municipal corporation for approval, it will be granted within 24 hours.
He also added that the residents of such colonies should be exempted from taxes for 10 years and that civic amenities should be provided to them at the earliest.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had called a high powered meeting Monday to discuss the issue and Delhi Urban Development Minister A.K. Walia had said that the regularisation of unauthorised colonies would begin as soon as mid-August.
Dikshit and Walia had paid a visit to Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath in June to thank him for authorising the state government to issue orders of regularisation. Chandolia claimed that no such authority has been granted to the state government.
