Delhi cabinet thanks Centre for move to regularize 1,511 colonies, hope of push to planned development

The Delhi Cabinet, during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, on Tuesday expressed its gratitude to the Centre for its decision to regularise 1,511 unauthorized colonies in the national capital.

At the meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat, the Cabinet unanimously passed a resolution expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central leadership, including Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal for the decision.

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Calling it a transformative step, the chief minister expressed hope that the decision would bring dignity and long-awaited security to lakhs of families who have lived for years in uncertainty.

The cabinet ministers present at the meeting spoke with emotion, describing the move as no less than a celebration for residents of these colonies, who have long faced neglect and instability. With legal recognition now in place, concerns over homes and the future are expected to ease significantly, they said.

According to Gupta, the decision goes beyond legal validation, offering residents of the colonies a pathway to self-respect, stability and development. She said both the Centre and the Delhi government will now work together to take concrete steps towards a comprehensive and planned development of these colonies, ensuring better infrastructure and improved living standards.

She noted that lack of basic amenities has long caused hardship to the residents of these colonies. To address the problems, she said, Rs 800 crore has been earmarked in the 2026-27 budget, towards strengthening basic infrastructure.

Gupta further said that the Centre’s decision has now paved the way for faster development and a tangible improvement in the quality of life of residents living in these colonies.

Under the plan, 1,511 of the 1,731 unauthorised colonies will be regularised on an ‘As-is, Where-is’ basis. No approval of layout plans will be required, and all plots and buildings will be treated as residential.

The entire process will now be handled by the Delhi government’s Revenue Department instead of the Delhi Development Authority.

Highlighting the broader context, the CM said Delhi’s population has nearly doubled over the past two decades, from around 1.5 crore to nearly 3 crore. The city presently has these unauthorised colonies, and around 675 slum clusters and more than 350 villages, many of which have seen unplanned and unregulated growth over the years.

Gupta slammed the previous governments for failing to adequately address the issue, making relocation impractical.

She said that the Centre’s decision marks the first significant step towards structured and planned urban development.

However, challenges of these settlements, like narrow lanes, houses with limited access points, and high population density make emergency response, especially during fires, extremely difficult, the CM said, adding that keeping all this in mind, the government is working to further strengthen fire services infrastructure to ensure residents’ safety.