Illegal colonies
HC rejects Delhi Govt's proposal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Sept 17 — The Delhi High Court today declined approval to the Delhi Government’s proposal for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies.

The court said that the state government should formulate a composite package in consultation with the Centre to settle the matter for ever.

The Delhi Government had in an affidavit filed before the court submitted a list of guidelines as a pre-condition for the approval of the unauthorised colonies which had come up before March 31, 1993.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta, was of the view that it would go through pros and cons of the guidelines before issuing any order or approving the guidelines.

Among the details sought by the court were the number of unauthorised colonies which would be eliminated from the process of regularisation because of non-fulfilment of guidelines.

Moreover, the bench asked the Delhi Government counsel Ms Geeta Luthra to explain why the Government was pursuing this matter with so much urgency. "There were several other related matters pending before the government. Why was the government taking so much interest in this matter only", the Bench observed.

It further directed that the government to state how it was going to deal with the colonies on private land which might have come up after March 31, 1993.

It would also be necessary to know the policy of the government with respect to colonies other than those on private land – colonies on government land, on gram sabha land, partially on gram sabha land and partially on government land, the bench said.

The Delhi Chief Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, on August 17, appearing in person, had stated that a positive decision on the regularisation of colonies would be taken in one month and a half and the decision would be placed before the court on the next date of hearing.