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| Photo by Juan Verdaguer/Unsplash |
Yesterday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition seeking regularisation of unauthorised colonies omitted by the authorities, stating that legalization of such colonies was not for the rich class.
Wait, Wait. What's That?
Here's what happened, in a nutshell.
In a bid to regularise unauthorised colonies in the national capital, proposals had been sent to the central government earlier this year.
To ensure better living conditions and to push for regularisation of such colonies, the proposal entails regularising colonies as it is, where the respective colonies meet basic requirements.
Where basic conditions like road width and other infrastructure are not met, colonies have to go for a mandatory redevelopment, transforming them into better living spaces.
A list of 1,797 such colonies was made but 66 colonies were removed from the list upon scrutiny because they were found to be affluent colonies, which can easily afford a modern redevelopment.
Okay, So What's The Noise About?
Folks from these 66 left out communities cried poverty and petitioned the high court that they deserve to be regularised on an as-it-is basis, instead of having to take the redevelopment route.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh termed the petition as a motivated litigation filed at the behest of residents of affluent unauthorised colonies - like Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anant Ram Dairy Colony.“The primary purpose of these regulations and enactment is to grant relief to the lower income group of the society, which constitute majority of the inhabitants of the unauthorised colonies, and not affluent sections of the society. The law can make and set apart the classes according to the needs and exigencies of the society,” the Centre said in its affidavit on the matter.