Regularisation fee deters Delhi's unauthorised colony residents from legalising properties

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) The MCD's drive to regularise properties in unauthorised colonies has drawn only five applications in over two months, with officials saying many low-income residents are unable to pay lakhs of rupees to legalise their homes, especially when there is little urgency or consequence for delaying the process. Launched on April 24, the civic body's SWAGAM portal allows residents who have already secured ownership rights under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) to regularise their existing properties on an "as is where is" basis. Over 40,000 PM-UDAY beneficiaries are currently eligible to apply. However, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has received only five applications so far. All of them remain pending after the the civic body sought clarifications or additional documents from the applicants, officials said. "In one application from Najafgarh, the applicant had edited his name from 'Kishan' to 'Krishan' with a pen on the document. We asked him to submit the original document, but he has not reverted," a senior MCD official told PTI. Officials, however, said incomplete applications are not the primary reason for the poor response. Instead, they said, residents see little value in paying high regularisation charges when there is no immediate requirement to do so. "For example, for a 100 square metre plot, the total regularisation cost comes to around Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. More than 80 per cent of people living in these colonies are working-class. If their monthly income is low, how can they afford such a one-time expenditure? And why would they bother when there are no consequences?" the official said. The MCD has taken up the issue with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government, and discussions are underway to explore the possibility of reducing the regularisation charges, officials said. Another reason for the poor response is the absence of a deadline for getting the properties regularised. "Whether someone applies after two months or four months, there is no difference because no deadline has been prescribed. There is virtually no incentive to apply immediately," an official said. He further said that people can continue occupying their properties, and there is no provision under which demolition or any immediate action will follow simply because they have not applied. The cost of regularisation is determined under the Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL), 2016, and comprises multiple charges. Among those, applicants are required to pay a building permit fee of Rs 10 per square metre of built-up area while submitting the building plan. They must also pay charges under the SARAL scheme, which vary depending on the category of the colony. For instance, Rs 5,000 for plots in posh category A and B colonies, Rs 2,500 in category C and D colonies, and Rs 1,500 in lower-income category E, F, G and H colonies. Besides these, applicants are required to pay levy charges of Rs 450 per square metre on the additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR), wherever applicable, along with a pre-occupancy charge of Rs 25,000 for occupying a building without obtaining a completion-cum-occupancy certificate. Officials said these components together substantially increase the cost of regularising a house, making the process unaffordable for many families living in unauthorised colonies. Another factor contributing to the muted response is the ownership pattern in these colonies. Officials said a large number of residents live as tenants, while the actual owners often reside in the same building or nearby and are unwilling to go through the regularisation process. The civic body maintained that despite the upfront cost, regularisation offers several long-term benefits. Once a property is regularised, it gets a legally recognised owner, reducing ownership disputes that are common in unauthorised colonies. It also enables owners to obtain home loans, as banks generally do not finance unauthorised properties, and facilitates legal sale or transfer through a valid conveyance deed. To improve participation, the MCD said it had launched multiple awareness initiatives since the portal became operational. Officials said the civic body earlier sent six rounds of direct messages to all PM-UDAY beneficiaries, urging them to complete the regularisation process. "We have personally sent multiple messages to residents on their phones. We have also run awareness campaigns through auto-tippers that collect garbage in these colonies. Public announcements and jingles were played to spread awareness," an official said. The MCD has empanelled around 711 architects to help applicants prepare and upload building plans and has created facilitation mechanisms to simplify documentation and approvals. The Delhi government has fixed October 31 as the last date for residents of unauthorised colonies to apply for conveyance deeds and authorisation slips required to establish ownership under the PM-UDAY scheme. PTI MSJ DV DV