Govt okays budget for roads, drains in illegal colonies

Ananya panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 19

In a bid to earn the support of the capital’s migrant population, the AAP government has given the go ahead and sanctioned the budget for construction of roads and drains in unauthorised colonies except in those areas falling under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and forest jurisdiction.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain to ensure that the work regarding the same is taken up on a war footing. The total outlay earmarked for carrying out development work in these colonies would be around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 crore, said an official.

The developments came on a day when the Chief Minister also directed the Urban Development (UD) Department to approve all pending works under the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) scheme within a week.

Kejriwa, who took to twitter to announce the decisions, also accused the AAP’s rivals – the BJP and the Congress — of neglecting the work in unauthorised colonies for decades thus in a way gradually furthering his party’s prospects for next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“Good news for those living in hellish conditions in unauthorised colonies. Del government has approved and sanctioned budget for construction of roads and drains in all pending colonies barring ASI/forest areas. Work will start soon. This will provide them dignity and better living conditions,” Kejriwal tweeted.

“For last several decades, people have been living in hellish conditions in these areas in the national capital city. Successive governments did nothing. Now lump sum funds have been sanctioned and works will be done on war footing in mission mode,” he added.

As per the AAP government, during the past few decades only a handful of unauthorised colonies were chosen for carrying out developmental works in the first phase, and there too either very little or no work was done.

Data from the UD Department shows that there are 1,797 unauthorised colonies in Delhi and Irrigation and Flood Control and the DSIIDC are the nodal agencies for carrying out the developmental works in these colonies.

Kejriwal also ordered the UD Department to approve all new works under the provision within three days adding doing so will expedite the development of basic amenities in unauthorised colonies.

“Issued directions today to UD to approve all pending works within a week from today. Henceforth, any work from MLA LAD fund shall be approved within 3 working days by UD,” Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.