New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The national capital, under immense stress over burgeoning population and migration from other cities, has seen its civic infrastructure compromised due to the mushrooming of illegal and unauthorised colonies over the past few decades, and is now set to change with the PM-UDAY scheme.

The PM-UDAY scheme, under the incumbent government, will grant ownership rights to the residents of hundreds of unauthorised colonies, thereby correcting the historic wrong of the past.

The tedious process remains riddled with challenges, but it will surely bring order to the host of unauthorised colonies and enable them to come on par with the regularised ones, thereby paving the way for improvement in living standards.

According to data shared by an X handle Infoindata, Najafgarh and Uttam Nagar have the highest number of illegal colonies, amounting to 172 and 136, respectively. Kirari in North and Chhattarpur in South Delhi are other areas with a large number of illegal colonies, amounting to 105 and 75, respectively.

Once the benefit of regularisation starts kicking in, West Delhi is likely to benefit the most, as this zone has the largest number of illegal human occupations.

The PM-UDAY scheme will not only grant rightful ownership to the residents but will also secure the city’s future through structured development.

The residents of illegal colonies would be empowered to legally sell and buy their properties after getting ownership rights. According to reports, more than 6,700 people have already gained ownership rights of their properties under the PM-UDAY Yojana, which was launched in 2019.

According to the Delhi planning department, the number of unauthorised colonies stood at 607 in 1983, which grew at an alarming rate to over 1,700 today, signifying the gravity of the problem.

The scheme is free of any charges, and people can apply online through the PM-UDAY website. A single-window clearance has also been enabled, allowing for documentation, scrutiny, notarisation and the resolution of other necessary procedures in one place. Senior officials, along with PM-UDAY mitras, have also been roped in to oversee the fast disposal of applications.

–IANS

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