New Delhi: Parliament recently approved a bill extending protection to Delhi's unauthorised colonies, permitting a three-year extension beyond the December 31 deadline, now spanning till December 2026.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Act, 2023 was passed through a voice vote in the Lok Sabha after a concise discussion involving three participating members.
Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, highlighted the persistent issues in Delhi, attributing them to longstanding neglect that predated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance in 2014. The bill, under discussion since 2019, was initially requested by the Delhi chief minister for an additional two-year period to finalise pending work.
"In 2019, the legislation came into effect. However, the subsequent years saw significant disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hampering ground-level work. Approximately 40 lakh individuals reside in these unauthorised colonies, necessitating the registration of eight to ten lakh households. While four lakh households have been registered, further progress and an expedited transition are imperative," said Puri.
He emphasised the influx of individuals migrating from rural regions to Delhi over the years, a situation that remained unaddressed by previous governments. Despite the visible issue two decades ago, proactive measures were only introduced in 2006, extending the legislation yearly until 2011 and subsequently by three years, continuing the extensions to the present day.
Puri iterated ongoing consultations with the Delhi government to ascertain the completion date for verifying unauthorised colonies. This verification will pave the way for the Centre to identify encroachments and unauthorised colonies, enabling necessary intervention.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expressed disappointment with the Congress and AAP members for not supporting the bill, claiming their lack of empathy towards the underprivileged.
Eight members contributed to the discussion in the Upper House, with BJP's Baburam Nishad, BJD's Amar Patnaik, BJP's Anil Jain, and BJP's Rakesh Sinha expressing support for the bill. Meanwhile, AIADMK's M Thambidurai urged the Centre to address slum-related issues across the country, not limited to Delhi.
Although an opposition member sought a vote on the bill, it was rejected by the chair due to the member's absence from their seat.