The Hindu 30.11.2010
‘MCD slow in development of illegal colonies'
| Onus of finalising the layout plans lies with the civic body, says Delhi Urban Development Minister |
‘Rs.3,326 crore given to MCD for development since 1998'
‘MLAs prefer DSIIDC, other agencies for development works'
NEW DELHI: Delhi Urban Development Minister A.K. Walia on Monday accused the Municipal Corporation of Delhi of being slow in the issue of approving the layout plans of colonies due to which regularisation work was getting delayed.
“The Delhi Government sent drawings of 700 unauthorised colonies to the MCD out of which it returned layout plan of only six. With this pace the regularisation process will never be completed. The onus lies with the MCD to finalise the layout plans so that Delhi Government could approach the High Court for their regularisation,” Dr. Walia said.
He was replying to a motion on property tax on unauthorised colonies and urbanised villages that was moved by Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma in the Delhi Assembly and was later adopted by voice vote by the House.
The Minister said the MCD has already been collecting property tax from 9 lakh dwelling units in unauthorised colonies, urban villages and rural villages and the collection in 2009-10 was Rs.20 crore, Rs.2 crore and Rs.8 crore respectively. However, due to its inability to maintain these colonies, parks and roads well the MLAs are also not interested in getting their developmental works done under MLA LAD Fund from the Corporation. “They prefer Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and Irrigation and Flood Control Department for this purpose.”
Dr. Walia said in all Rs.3,326 crore has been given to the MCD for development in unauthorised colonies since 1998. Of this, Rs.749 crore have been approved for 2010-11 and out of this Rs.335 crore has been released till date.
The Minister said roads and drains have been laid in 1,033 unauthorised colonies out of which 537 have been done by DSIIDC, 281 by I&FC and 215 by the MCD. In all 260 estimates amounting to Rs.145.93 crore were approved out of which 24 belonged to the MCD worth Rs.9.6 crore, 97 to DSIIDC amounting to Rs.58 crore, 53 to I&FC amounting to Rs.28 crore and 86 to Delhi Jal Board amounting to Rs.49 crore.
The DJB has laid sewer lines in 98 colonies; water lines in 726 colonies and distribution of water has started in 630 colonies. Street lights have been provided in 1,250 colonies whereas all 1,639 unauthorised colonies have been electrified.
Earlier initiating the motion, Mr. Sharma charged that the BJP, which was in power in the MCD, was misleading the people on the issue of property tax. “The MCD wants to tax 40 lakh people living in 1,639 unauthorised colonies and 360 villages of Delhi but neither is it undertaking any development activities there and nor is it using the Rs. 60 crore which the Delhi Government gives it annually on keeping the unauthorised colonies clean.”
The Congress MLA said while 25,000 people have already been issued notices for property tax, the Congress would vehemently oppose it and would even agitate against it.
He said the MCD was only stopping development and nothing else. “They would ask for maps on every pretext knowing full well that the Development Department of the Delhi Government was looking after this issue.”
“These colonies and villages are the ones that had returned the Congress to power for the third time. It is in our manifesto that they would not be charged property tax till they are regularised. We should not renege on our promise,” he said.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly V.K. Malhotra in a statement denounced the manner in which the Delhi Government has betrayed unauthorised colonies by not regularising them so far despite having issued provisional certificates to them in 2008.
He said the development work through DSIIDC and I&FC departments has now come to a stop as “the budget allocated foron drains, sewer and brick roads had been diverted to the Commonwealth Games projects.”
