Addressing a press conference here, Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly V K Malhotra said residents should not be burdened with development charges and all the colonies should be regularised immediately.
"What relief are you providing to residents if you are collecting development charges from common man?" Gupta said adding that a party delegation will meet Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in this regard.
"If the unauthorised colonies are not regularised immediately, then the party will launch protests across Delhi," he said.
Gupta argued that according to the notification put out by the Delhi government on September 4, only unauthorised colonies on private land will be regularised, leaving 583 colonies on public or government land.
In the notification, Gupta alleged that, it is mentioned plot owners whose land is on public/government land will be levied development charges, fines, energy charges, among others.
Malhotra said that the Congress Party had promised regularisation of 1,639 unauthorised colonies before the polls and then it came down to 1,300 colonies. Now, it has come down to 312 colonies and even the fate of these colonies hangs in balance, he said.
"The Delhi Lokayukta had also condemned the Delhi government for its inability to regularise unauthorised colonies and its posturing in media regarding the regularisation process," he said.
"Colonies, which are being charged development fees, had alreday paid a huge amount when they bought this land and so they should be absolved from unnecessary burdens," Malhotra said.
Gupta also said that even on the 312 unauthorised which will be regularised, work has not begun adding that the Delhi government is only cheating people and looting them in the name of fines and charges.
