NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the city government’s stand on its proposed move to regularize unauthorized colonies.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice
Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the government to respond to a plea seeking to
stop the government from taking any decision for regularization of
unauthorized colonies. Issuing notice also to the Centre and the DDA, HC gave them time till September 6 to file their reply.

Urging HC to bar the government from taking any decision on the
contentious issue, the petitioner’s counsel, Anil Aggarwal, argued “this
court is yet to decide a plea, filed by an architect and town planner,
questioning the Centre, the city government and DDA’s power to
regularize the unauthorized colonies.”

“Restrain all the
respondents from making any declaration or pass any order or give any
direction regarding regularization of unauthorized colonies in the NCT
of Delhi in any manner and by any means whatsoever during pendency of
the petition,” the plea filed by H R Suri ex-president of the Institute
of Town Planner (India).

Citing a TOI report in which the chief
minister promised to declare 917 unauthorized colonies as regularized
soon, the petition asked HC to intervene. “In case, the respondents
succeed in their plans and designs to illegally regularize the colonies,
not only would this perpetuate illegality but will also render the
petition largely futile,” says the application.