Give registration papers to all unauthorised colony residents before Delhi polls: Kejriwal to Centre

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded that the Centre gives housing registration papers to all residents of unauthorised colonies before the assembly elections in the city due early next year. Kejriwal told a press conference that he came to know that the BJP-led central government is planning to give housing registration papers to around 100 or 500 people before the polls.

"I demand that the central government gives registry to all residents of unauthorised colonies before the assembly elections," the chief minister told reporters. He also demanded that the registration papers be given to residents of these colonies within three days of filing application for the same.

Listing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's work in unauthorised colonies, he said the upcoming assembly polls will be fought on the plank of development. According to Kejriwal, development work worth Rs 8,147 crore was executed in these colonies in the last five years, while only Rs 1,186 crore was spent during the rule of the previous government.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri introduced a Bill in Parliament on Tuesday aimed at conferring ownership rights to the residents of unauthorised colonies. Questioning the timing of introducing the Bill in Parliament, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP-led Centre has done nothing for unauthorised colonies in the last five years. He also said that between 2015 and 2019, the AAP government spent Rs 4,312 crore on roads and drains in 1,281 unauthorised colonies

He said the AAP dispensation has worked hard to develop unauthorised colonies and the BJP should not even appeal to the people living in these colonies to vote for it. "The water pipelines were laid only in 45 colonies from 2002 to 2009 and in 245 colonies from 2009-2014. During our tenure from 2015 to 2019, water pipelines were laid in 579 colonies with a total spending of Rs 391 crore," he said.

According to the chief minister, water pipelines have been laid in 1,554 colonies until now. "Only 250 colonies are left, out of which water pipelines cannot be laid in 40-50 colonies since they come under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and under forest area, but the laying of pipelines will be completed in 200 colonies in the next one year," Kejriwal said.

During 2009-2014, only 34 colonies had sewer pipelines, but the AAP has laid sewer pipelines in 903 colonies with a total expenditure of Rs 3,444 crore. Sewer pipelines have been laid in 1,130 unauthorised colonies and pipelines in the rest of the colonies will be laid in the next two-three years.