With hat tip to Centre, Arvind Kejriwal announces major decision on Delhi’s 'kutcha' colonies

In a big announcement for Delhi’s ‘kutcha’ colonies, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that they will be authorised as Modi government has given a positive response in the matter.  

“I wish to congratulate people living in 'kutcha' colonies as Centre gave a positive response yesterday to the proposal of Delhi government to give ownership rights to the people over their houses. They have agreed to authorise the 'Kutcha' colonies,” Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference. 

“We had decided that we will provide these people what they are entitled to and this is why we passed the proposal from the cabinet on November 2, 2015. We have got a positive response from the Centre yesterday evening. I want to thank the Modi government on behalf of people of Delhi,” the chief minister added. 

कच्ची कालोनियों में रहने वाले लोगों को बधाई। जल्द आपको मिलेगा अपने मकान का मालिकाना हक। हमारी सरकार के नवंबर, 2015 के प्रस्ताव को केंद्र सरकार मंजूरी देने को तैयार। अब जल्द रजिस्ट्री करने की तैयारियाँ शुरू

दिल्ली के लोगों की ओर से केंद्र सरकार का बहुत बहुत शुक्रिया

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 18, 2019

Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is spending Rs 3500 crore on roads in 'Kutcha' colonies.

Registries of properties in 1,797 unauthorised colonies in Delhi will begin after Centre's approval to Delhi government's proposal, he said.

The cut-off date for properties to be covered for ownership rights in unauthorised colonies will be January 1, 2015, said Delhi's Urban Development minister Satyendar Jain.

Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP on Wednesday challenged the AAP government to prove Arvind Kejriwal's claim his government built 23 flyovers in the city in the past four-and-a-half years, and alleged the chief minister was trying to mislead people.

"Since 2015, when AAP came to power, Chief Minister Kejriwal has neither sanctioned any new flyover nor started work on them,” Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said.

"This fact is based on information received through RTI reply," he said, citing an RTI reply received by party spokesperson Harish Khurana.

Inaugurating the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Flyover on Tuesday, Kejriwal had said, "In 15 years, the Sheila Dikshit government built 70 flyovers. In the last four-and-a-half years, our government has built 23 flyovers."

Hitting out at Kejriwal, Tiwari said the chief minister has an "old habit" of taking credit of work done by other agencies.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta challenged Kejriwal to provide a list of 23 flyovers he claimed his government has built.

He charged the AAP government has not even laid the foundation stone of even one flyover in four-and-a-half years.

The budget speech of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 never mentioned that either the work on a flyover was started or it was completed, Gupta said.

The work on RTR flyover and Signature Bridge was initiated before the AAP government came to power in Delhi and even the website of the Public Works Department does not substantiate Kejriwal's claim of building 23 flyovers, he claimed.

At RTR flyover inauguration, Kejriwal had accused Tiwari of practising "dirty" politics.

With PTI Inputs