Centre stalling on illegal colonies, will regularise them in 2 years: CM

CHIEF MINISTER Arvind Kejriwal Sunday promised to regularise unauthorised colonies and provide roads, drinking water and drainage systems in the next two years. Addressing a gathering in northwest Delhi’s Najafgarh — where he laid the foundation for various development projects in the area’s 40 unauthorised colonies — Kejriwal said while the cabinet had cleared the regularisation of these colonies in December, the file is stuck with the Centre.

Accusing the BJP and the Congress of playing politics and stopping development work in the colonies, Kejriwal said,“youhavevotedustopowerwith a heavy majority and we are proving worthy of your votes. Those who got three seats are interfering with our work. Najafgarh faced neglect vis-avis unauthorised colonies. Both the Congress and the BJP played politics and duped them. No one developed unauthorised colonies as they want to keep them as a vote bank. As many as 1,649 unauthorised colonies have been cleared by the Cabinet for regularisation. We have already started work in these colonies. We sent the file to regularise unauthorised colonies to the Centre in December last year. Eight months have passed and the (Narendra) Modi government is sitting on it.”

He added, “We are setting up clinics and giving free medicines... We set up 100 mohalla clinics in Delhi. By December 31, we were supposed to open1,000mohallaclinicsbutbjphad a problem. Modi had called (LG) Najeeb Jung, who then transferred the team of doctors who were running the clinic. Manish Sisodia requested Jung not to transfer the doctors but he was not heard...” said the CM.

“If the Centre does not stop troubling us, they will be reduced to two seats in the Lok Sabha just like in Delhi where they were reduced to three seats,” said Kejriwal.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, “In this constituency, there are 200 unauthorised colonies. Work has started in 40 colonies. The CM had called me six months ago and said all unauthorised colonies in Delhi should haveroadsanddrains.isentars3,000 crore estimate and the CM approved it. He ordered me to prioritise this work. By December 2017, all unauthorised colonies will have roads, drinking water and drains.”

On extending the Delhi Metro to Najafgarh, the CM said the Centre was delaying it. “The government cleared the 1 km extension to Najafgarh in June 2015 but the Centre did not clear it. In May, they raised a few objections. Weclearedthoseobjectionsandsent back the file in July. What can I do if Modijiisnotclearingit?”saidkejriwal.

Speaking on the dearth of facilities for sportspersons, Kejriwal said he would provide adequate facilities in Najafgarh. “Delhi has given birth to a few international players who have achieved wonders without any facilities. We have given approval to two sports complexes (of 18 and 35 acres),” said the CM.

On hiking of power tariff rates in the capital, Kejriwal said, “We brought the discoms to order. They had started to work properly but the LG cancelled our order on slashing tariff 15 days ago. We have heard that tariff will be hiked. We will not bear this.”