‘Time-bound ownership rights in illegal colonies’

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been asked to execute conveyance deeds or issue ownership certificates (authorisation slips) for the properties in unauthorised colonies in a time-bound manner.

L-G Anil Baijal, who is also DDA Chairman, on Tuesday urged the agency’s officials at a meeting to ensure that applications being received for ownership rights are disposed of within a time frame.    “Advised VC, DDA, and other officials to ensure timely disposal of applications under PM-UDAY and facilitate the targeted beneficiaries to avail the benefits of the scheme,” he tweeted later.

In December 2019, the Centre  had launched a scheme to confer ownership rights to properties in 1,731 illegal colonies under Unauthorized Colony in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojna (PM-UDAY). The scheme was expected to benefit 40 lakh people. The DDA was nominated as the nodal agency to execute the ownership rights and had launched a portal for the purpose.

But, the scheme received a lukewarm response. Till April, 4.02 lakh people had registered to get benefit of the scheme. But only 66,110 people actually filed applications on DDA’s portal and 5,378 property owners were issued the ownership rights, conveyance deeds or authorisation slips. According to officials, the Covid lockdown has slowed down the process.  

During Tuesday’s meeting, the DDAalso approved a policy for e-auction of CNG station sites, under which DDA will allot sites to individuals or gas distribution companies or/and its Letter of Intent holders through auction on licence basis. The DDA officials said that the move is to bring in transparency and increase efficiency in the process of allotment of CNG station sites plots. 

“Earlier, the lands were allotted for five years and increase in rates was also uncertain as it was related to average auction rates. Under the new policy, the licence is 10 years renewable upto 30 years and increase in the licence fee is fixed,” said a DDA official.