Assuring that her government would not allow any house or colony to be demolished, Dikshit, who was addressing a convention of representatives of unauthorised colonies falling under ridge or Archaeological Survey of India's land here, conceded that the government had failed to provide housing to migrant population due to which the problem of unauthorised colonies had arisen.
"Delhi being the national capital, many people come in search of job. But we have failed to keep pace in building houses for them due to which such unauthorised colonies have come up. Also our government has no right over the land. But our aim is to remove the word 'unauthorised colonies' from the dictionary of Delhi," she said.
She said "we won't leave any colony where police or MCD would come and demolish it. We will not leave any colony unauthorised, even if it takes one month, two months, six months or one year."
There are 1,639 unauthorised colonies which are home to nearly 40-50 lakh people in Delhi.
A meeting of Delhi Cabinet, presided by the Chief Minister, today approved the long-pending proposal to regularise the settlements which were given provisional regularisation certificates in 2008.
The government has decided to regularise 205 colonies either coming up on forest land or land belonging to Archaeological Survey of India.
157 colonies came up partly on forest land while 48 settlements have encroached land belonging to Archaeological Survey of India.
The government had decided to regularise the colonies after getting clearance from Forest department and ASI. The Government in September had regularised 895 unauthorised colonies which are home to around 35 lakh people.
The Cabinet has also decided to immediately start developmental works in all the colonies which have been regularised.
Dikshit also stressed that there was need to change the law, as "those laws were not relevant in the present circumstances" and we will not allow anyone's life's saving, invested on buying or building a house on such land to be bulldozed by the authorities.
"The government has planned to build three lakh new houses on whatever land we have for those coming here, middle class and low income group, so that they don't have to stay in unauthorised colonies instead they buy a house for themselves," she said.
She also promised to provide loans and said her government would extend financial help to those belonging to Schedule Tribe and Scheduled Caste category.
"The programme is ready but it is not moving as fast as it should, but I promise you that we will move swiftly so that no unauthorised colony is constructed in future," she said.
