The Uttarakhand government has decided to regularise all unauthorised colonies, most of which are concentrated near river banks and fall under flood-prone areas.
“The chief minister wanted to regularise all the unauthorised colonies before the Tehri parliamentary by-election. After much deliberation, a decision to this effect was taken by the state Cabinet to regularise all the unauthorised colonies,” said a government official.
Bahuguna’s son Saket lost from Tehri Lok Sabha seat, the by-election for which was held on October 10. The official said the government would also bring a comprehensive Bill on regularising unauthorised colonies in the Vidhan Sabha.
Leaders of the ruling Congress party claim the move is likely to give the party a huge political mileage. “It is a big decision that will help our party to consolidate its position further in the state,” said state Congress Vice-President Suryakant Dhasmana.
The government is finding it an uphill task to regularise unauthorised colonies. “Be it Dehradun or any other other major town or village, the unauthorized colonies are mostly on the flood-prone zones, which, during the monsoon faces a lot of danger,” said a government official.
Every year, 100 people on an average die in landslides and cloudbursts during the monsoon season in the hill state.
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Houses which are built on the river beds are vulnerable to such natural disasters, experts said.
The government has also adopted a flood control measure which prohibits settlements on the river beds.
In August, the chief minister during a review meeting of the urban development department had stated that unauthorised colonies in the state would be regularised so that the people get the ownership rights of their houses.