Delhi's illegal colonies given cover from punitive action

Delhi’s illegal colonies given cover from punitive action

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance extending protection from punitive action to unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters and constructions in Delhi’s rural areas built on agriculture land for another three years, Union minster Prakash Javadekar said.

The move will extend the legal protection for scores of illegal constructions and unauthorised colonies in Delhi from demolition or sealing till December 2023. There are around 1,700 unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

The NCT of Delhi (Special Provisions) Amendment Ordinance, 2020 is an extension of a similar law first passed in 2011. When the 2011 law had expired, the government had in 2014 enacted the law again to grant a fresh extension.

Since the law re-enacted in 2017 was ending soon, and there was no winter session of Parliament, an ordinance was approved to extend the protection for another three years (till December 2023), Javadekar said after the Cabinet meeting.

He said Delhi’s unauthorised colonies, JJ (Jhuggi Jhopri) clusters and structures in rural areas built on agriculture land would get protection. The ordinance has to be signed by the President before it comes into force, the minister pointed out.

In December 2017, Parliament had passed a bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in Delhi from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements was in place. Last year, the Union cabinet had approved a proposal to grant ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi and said it would benefit 40 lakh people.

On December 19 this year, Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh had said 3,62,712 people had so far registered on the Pradhan Mantri- Unauthorised Colony in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojna (PM-UDAY) portal.