New Delhi: In a major relief for lakhs of residents, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced a fast-track plan to regularise unauthorized colonies, bringing legal ownership rights and long-awaited development to nearly 50 lakh people living in such areas.
Highlighting unauthorized colonies as one of Delhi’s biggest urban challenges, the Chief Minister said her government has taken decisive steps to resolve issues that remained pending for years due to policy and technical bottlenecks.
Under the revamped PM-UDAY scheme, the government will now regularise colonies on an “as is where is” basis—removing the earlier requirement of layout plan approvals that had significantly delayed the process. This change is expected to accelerate property ownership rights for residents.
Out of the total 1,731 unauthorized colonies in Delhi, around 1,511 colonies will now be brought under the regularisation process. Only colonies located in restricted zones such as ridge areas, protected monuments, and environmentally sensitive regions will remain excluded.
The move is expected to directly benefit nearly 10 lakh families, many of whom have been living without legal property rights despite decades of residence. So far, progress under the earlier framework had been slow, with only around 4,000 conveyance deeds issued due to procedural hurdles.
To simplify the process, the Delhi government has introduced a single-window system. The Revenue Department will now act as the nodal authority, with the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) empowered to grant approvals for all property cases—replacing the earlier multi-level clearance system.
Strict timelines have also been introduced to ensure speed and accountability. GIS surveys will be completed within 7 days, deficiency notices issued within 15 days, and conveyance deeds granted within 45 days.
Applications for ownership rights will begin from April 24, 2026, through the SWAGAT online portal, allowing residents to apply digitally. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will issue regularisation certificates, while the Revenue Department will handle ownership documentation.
The government has also assured that infrastructure development in these colonies will now be taken up in a systematic manner, marking a shift from mere legalisation to comprehensive urban improvement.
Calling the initiative a “historic step,” CM Rekha Gupta said the reforms will not only provide legal security to residents but also unlock planned development in large parts of the capital that have remained outside the formal urban framework for decades.
