Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal intent on registrations in unauthorized colonies

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal again raised questions on Monday over the Centre's intention to provide ownership rights in the unauthorised colonies of the city and said he would ensure registration of properties in these settlements.

He also asked the residents of the unauthorised colonies not to believe anyone unless their registration was formalised.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said he had already doubted the intentions of the government, pointing out that a proposed bill on unauthorised colonies was not cleared by the Union cabinet for tabling in the Parliament's winter session that began on Monday.

The Union cabinet, in September, decided to provide ownership rights to the residents of over 1,700 unauthorised colonies in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had said a law would be enacted for the unauthorised colonies in the winter session of Parliament.

"Unless you have the registration papers in your hand, do not believe anyone. Earlier also there was the ruse of provisional certificates," Kejriwal said. The provisional certificates were given to some residents of the unauthorised colonies during the Congress regime. Kejriwal alleged that the Centre came up with "irrelevant excuses" for not clearing the Delhi government's proposal for regularisation of the unauthorised colonies.

"In 2015, we used satellite maps to demarcate the unauthorised colonies in the proposal. But they rejected it and asked us to conduct a TSM survey, which requires five years. Interestingly, now the Union government has accepted the use of satellite maps for the demarcation purpose," he claimed.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari has claimed that registration of properties will begin in the unauthorised colonies by the end of this month after the passing of a bill in the current session of Parliament. Kejriwal asserted that he would not rest till the registration of the houses in the unauthorised colonies was done. "I want to assure the people of Delhi that just like we forced them to pass our CCTV file, mohalla clinics file, we will force the Union government to regularise the unauthorised colonies at the earliest. It is my responsibility to get you your pucca registration and ownership rights from the Centre. But until you actually get the registration papers, do not believe anyone. We have already been misled once using provisional certificates. Now they are trying website numbers. But only Kejriwal will ensure that you get your pucca registration," he said.

The chief minister said there would be a mass movement if registration of properties was not done for the residents of the unauthorised colonies.