Delhi Simplifies Ownership and Construction Norms in Unauthorised Colonies

New Delhi: The central government has announced a revised policy aimed at simplifying property registration and construction activities within Delhi’s unauthorised colonies. The updated framework, based on an “as is where is” principle, significantly eases the requirements for property ownership rights and building permissions in these areas.

According to details received by The Chenab Times, a key change in the policy eliminates the need for a layout plan for the registration of already constructed buildings in 1,511 out of the total 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi. Furthermore, the Revenue Department of the Delhi government will now be responsible for issuing conveyance deeds, a crucial step in establishing ownership rights, taking over this function from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The announcement was made at a joint press conference attended by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Chief Minister Gupta stated that the revised policy represents a significant development for the city’s residents, with applications for property ownership under the new norms set to open online via the PM-UDAY portal starting April 24. It is estimated that approximately 50 lakh residents will benefit from this policy change.

The policy revision addresses challenges encountered with the original PM-UDAY scheme, launched in 2019, which aimed to regularise ownership rights in unauthorised colonies but faced several technical hurdles. Under the previous policy, around 40,000 conveyance deeds were issued. The simplified approval process and a streamlined timeline of 45 days for issuing deeds are expected to accelerate the regularisation process.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar clarified that while the “as is where is” policy applies to existing structures in unauthorised colonies, any new constructions will be required to adhere to the norms set by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and obtain necessary permissions. The government has also introduced a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy for the national capital as part of these broader urban development initiatives.

The initiative builds upon the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, which was enacted to confer ownership rights to residents of these colonies. However, the subsequent PM-UDAY scheme had seen limited uptake, with only a fraction of the expected conveyance deeds and authorisation slips being issued by the DDA. Feedback gathered indicated a need for a more simplified procedure, reduced pre-requisites, and a potential shift in the implementing agency from the DDA to the Delhi government’s Revenue Department, a transition that is now being examined.

Unauthorised colonies, as defined by the Delhi Development Authority, are residential areas that have developed without official approval or adherence to the city’s master plan regulations. These areas often face challenges related to haphazard growth, lack of public amenities, unsafe structures, and unhygienic conditions. Previous attempts at regularisation date back to 1961 and 1977, with further guidelines issued in 2001 and revised in 2007, leading to the notification of regulations in 2008. However, the process of delineating boundaries by the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi faced significant delays.

The PM-UDAY scheme aims to provide ownership, transfer, and mortgage rights to residents, thereby facilitating development and redevelopment to improve living conditions. Property owners in these colonies have historically held their rights through documents such as General Power of Attorney (GPA), Will, Agreement to Sell, payment receipts, and proof of possession, rather than formal deeds.

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