Unauthorised colony Bill passed in Lok Sabha: ‘Will end injustice of many years’

“The maps of all 1,728 (unauthorised) colonies will be uploaded on a new portal, which has been created… we have already got the maps of 600 or so, and even as we speak the work is going on… After that a new portal will start from December 16, and individuals can apply for registration.”

“Work which could not be done in the last 11 years, we propose to complete it well before December 31,” he added.

While tabling the Bill for consideration earlier, he said attempts had been made to deal with this problem in the past too — but only half-heartedly.

The Bill grants ownership to those who have properties in these colonies. (Archive)

Earlier in the day, while initiating the debate, Congress member Anumala R Reddy questioned the timing of the Bill, ahead of the Delhi assembly elections. He also demanded that government should not charge registration fee.

BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri attacked the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, claiming they did nothing to regularise unauthorised colonies. Had previous governments paid attention to the problem, the number of such colonies would not have spiked like this, he said.

As Bidhuri spoke, some opposition members expressed objections to his remarks about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his predecessor Sheila Dikshit.

DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, who supported the Bill, said one should not belittle the former chief minister of Delhi.

Participating in the debate, TMC member Pratima Mondal said, “I support the Bill, but it will convey a message that encroachment of government land will be legitimised in the future.”

BSP leader Kunwar Danish Ali called the Bill incomplete, and said that a lot more needs to be done.

BJP’s Manoj Tiwari, the party’s Delhi unit chief, congratulated the Centre for the legislation, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be remembered as a social reformer. AAP Member Bhagwant Mann also supported the bill during the debate, in which 16 members participated.