New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded the Centre should give registry to the people living in unauthorised colonies in just three days after they submit an application for the same.
Speaking to the media, Kejriwal said that in the last five years, the AAP government has worked relentlessly for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies.
"I got to know that the Centre is saying that it will give registry to only 100 or 500 people. I demand that it should be given to all and not just a few. Also, the Centre should ensure that people are given registry within three days of their application," he said.
"People will only trust you (BJP) if you give them registry," the CHief Minister said.
He said that next year's Assembly elections in Delhi will be contested in the name of the works done.
"The BJP is suddenly talking about unauthorised colonies as people here are talking about the works done by the Aam Aadmi Party. They are asking the BJP that 'AAP has done so much work, what you are doing'," he said.
Kejriwal said that the scale of development of unauthorised colonies here in the last five years has been the highest in the last 70 years.
Lashing out at the Congress and the BJP for doing nothing for the development of unauthorised colonies, Kejriwal said the "BJP is indulging in political and media gimmick by providing registration papers to just 100 property owners before the Assembly elections."
"Being the capital of India, Delhi has a huge influx of migrants from all over the country who come here in search of employment and better opportunities. In the last 30-40 years, Delhi has been significant in terms of migration of people from other states in large numbers. It has been the responsibility of the DDA to provide affordable housing to the people, but unfortunately the stipulated demand for housing has not been met," the Chief Minister said.
Kejriwal said this has resulted in the set-up of unauthorised colonies in the city in large numbers.
"The previous governments did nothing to improve the conditions of these unauthorised colonies and the people had to continue living in miserable conditions," he said.
The Chief Minister said the residents demanded development and regularisation of unauthorised colonies, but all they could get were false promises.
He also claimed that Delhi government has transformed the unauthorised colonies with an expenditure of Rs 8,147 crore.
"The expenditure on unauthorised colonies from 2009 to 2014 was just Rs 1,186 crore as compared to Rs 8,147 crore from 2015-2019," Kejriwal claimed.
He said the Centre was compelled to introduce the bill on unauthorised colonies in the Parliament after the AAP government's pressure.
The Centre on Tuesday introduced in the Lok Sabha a Bill to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi to benefit over 40 lakh residents who have been residing in such colonies for years.
Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Public Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019, which was approved by the Union Cabinet last week for its introduction in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The Bill will help allowing the registration of properties and provide relief to the residents in unauthorised colonies of Delhi from registration charges and stamp duty.
Over 40 lakh people are residing in 1,731 unauthorised colonies located on private or public property in the national capital.