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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) property regularisation drive for unauthorised colonies has attracted only five applications in more than two months, despite over 40,000 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) being eligible to apply. Officials attribute the poor response primarily to the high cost of regularisation, with charges for a 100 sq m plot ranging between INR 3 lakh and INR 5.4 lakh, and the absence of a statutory deadline for completing the process. The MCD has initiated discussions with the Delhi government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to explore reducing the charges. The civic body has also undertaken awareness campaigns and empanelled architects to assist applicants with documentation and building plan approvals.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has received only five applications under its property regularisation initiative for unauthorised colonies since launching the programme more than two months ago, with civic officials citing high regularisation costs and the absence of any mandatory deadline as the principal reasons for the limited response.
Launched on April 24, the MCD's SWAGAM portal enables residents who have secured ownership rights under the Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) to regularise their existing properties on an "as is where is" basis. More than 40,000 PM-UDAY beneficiaries are currently eligible to apply through the portal.
Despite the eligible beneficiary base, officials said only five applications have been submitted so far, with all of them remaining pending after the civic body sought clarifications or additional documents from the applicants. In one case from Najafgarh, officials said the applicant had manually altered the name on the submitted document, requiring the original record to be furnished before processing could continue.
According to the MCD, incomplete documentation is not the primary reason for the poor response. Officials stated that many residents, particularly those from working-class households, consider the one-time regularisation charges too high in the absence of any immediate legal or administrative requirement to complete the process.
The civic body estimated that the total cost of regularising a 100 sq m property ranges between INR 3 lakh and INR 5.4 lakh, depending on the applicable charges. The MCD said it has raised the issue with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government, and discussions are underway to examine the possibility of reducing the financial burden on applicants.
Officials also noted that the absence of a prescribed deadline has reduced the urgency among property owners. Since there is currently no provision for demolition or immediate enforcement action against those who delay applications, many residents continue occupying their properties without initiating the regularisation process.
Under the Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL), 2016, applicants are required to pay multiple charges, including a building permit fee of INR 10 per sq m of built-up area while submitting building plans. Additional payments are also applicable under the SARAL scheme, with charges ranging from INR 1,500 to INR 5,000 depending on the category of the unauthorised colony. Where applicable, applicants must also pay INR 450 per sq m on additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR), along with a pre-occupancy charge of INR 25,000 for buildings occupied without obtaining a completion-cum-occupancy certificate.
Officials said ownership patterns in unauthorised colonies have also contributed to the subdued response, as many occupants are tenants while the legal owners often reside elsewhere and are reluctant to undertake the regularisation process.
The MCD maintained that regularisation offers long-term benefits, including legally recognised ownership, reduced property disputes, improved access to housing finance and the ability to legally sell or transfer property through a valid conveyance deed. To improve participation, the civic body has undertaken awareness campaigns, sent six rounds of messages to PM-UDAY beneficiaries, deployed public announcements in unauthorised colonies and empanelled around 711 architects to assist applicants with preparing and uploading building plans. The Delhi government has fixed October 31 as the deadline for PM-UDAY beneficiaries to apply for conveyance deeds and authorisation slips required to establish ownership under the scheme.
Source - PTI
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