Addressing a press conference, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal said the move is aimed at encouraging residents to come forward for property registration and also enable them to construct or redevelop as per municipal norms.

According to the new rules, residents will no longer be required to submit the layout plan of the area to get their property registered. Instead they can submit a building plan made by any architect empaneled by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

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The decision is based on the Prime Minister-Unauthorized Colonies Housing Rights Scheme in Delhi (PM-UDAY) – which was launched in 2019 to provide ownership rights to residents of unauthorized colonies. Officials familiar with the development said that while the scheme has enabled ownership through conveyance deeds and authorization slips, the absence of approved layout plans has emerged as a significant hurdle in allowing construction clearance and full regularization.

The exclusion list includes 90 unauthorized colonies in the Yamuna flood plains (classified as “O-zones”), 61 in forest and ridge areas and 69 colonies classified as “prosperous”. Officials said the exclusion also applies to 51 colonies that did not exist before 2019.

“Delhi’s population has almost doubled from 15 million to 30 million in the last two decades, with unauthorized colonies and slums also growing. Today’s development is the first important step towards structured and planned urban development aimed at integrating these unauthorized colonies into the urban fabric of Delhi,” Gupta said.

Under the new framework, the land use of all plots in these colonies will be considered residential. Existing built structures will be regularized in their present form, and lack of layout plans will no longer act as a hindrance.

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Officials said that currently, conveyance deed (CD) is issued for properties constructed on government land and authorization slip (AS) for properties on private land. PM-UDAY is implemented through an online portal managed by DDA. Till March, around 40,000 conveyance deeds or authorization slips have been issued.

D Thara, additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), said the relatively low response to the scheme was scrutinised. “It has been observed that even after issuance of CD/AS, residents are not able to get building plans approved or regularize existing structures due to lack of approved layout plans. These layout plans were to be prepared by RWAs and approved by MCD, which is no longer required.”

He said people can now apply on the SWAGAM or PM-UDAY portal, submit a property map made by one of the 700 empaneled MCD architects and get authorization within 45 days.

For cases where ownership documents have already been issued, the application process will begin from April 24 through the SWAGAM portal of the MCD. A stipulated timeline includes GIS-based survey within seven days, rectification of deficiencies within 15 days and issuance of documents within 45 days.

Former DDA commissioner AK Jain said, “Many legal hurdles related to past norms, ownership disputes and contradiction with the master plan will come up. Delhi is perhaps the only state which does not have a Town and Country Planning department, due to the lack of which important aspects like connecting infrastructure cannot be worked out.”

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the latest move will benefit about 4.5 million residents and cover 1,511 of the 1,731 identified unauthorized colonies that do not fall under the so-called “exclusion criteria”.

The exclusion list includes 90 unauthorized colonies in the Yamuna flood plains (classified as “O-zones”), 61 in forest and ridge areas and 69 colonies classified as “prosperous”. Officials said the exclusion also applies to 51 colonies that did not exist before 2019.

“Delhi’s population has almost doubled from 15 million to 30 million in the last two decades, with unauthorized colonies and slums also growing. Today’s development is the first important step towards structured and planned urban development aimed at integrating these unauthorized colonies into the urban fabric of Delhi,” Gupta said.

Under the new framework, the land use of all plots in these colonies will be considered residential. Existing built structures will be regularized in their present form, and lack of layout plans will no longer act as a hindrance.

Officials said that currently, conveyance deed (CD) is issued for properties constructed on government land and authorization slip (AS) for properties on private land. PM-UDAY is implemented through an online portal managed by DDA. Till March, around 40,000 conveyance deeds or authorization slips have been issued.

D Thara, additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), said the relatively low response to the scheme was scrutinised. “It has been observed that even after issuance of CD/AS, residents are not able to get building plans approved or regularize existing structures due to lack of approved layout plans. These layout plans were to be prepared by RWAs and approved by MCD, which is no longer required.”

He said people can now apply on the SWAGAM or PM-UDAY portal, submit a property map made by one of the 700 empaneled MCD architects and get authorization within 45 days.

Small convenience shops up to 10 square meters will also be eligible for regularization subject to access conditions. Shops up to 20 square meters will need six meters of clearance, while smaller units can be allowed with narrower access.

Municipal corporation officials will issue certificates of regularization, survey vacant plots and facilitate development of civic infrastructure. The Revenue Department of Delhi Government will continue to issue conveyance deeds or authorization slips to eligible residents.

“People can apply individually or in groups and also floor-wise. The MCD will also conduct drone surveys every two months to check what development work is required and to prevent further unauthorized construction. Apart from making these houses a legal entity, they will also get bankability,” Thara said.

For cases where ownership documents have already been issued, the application process will begin from April 24 through the SWAGAM portal of the MCD. A stipulated timeline includes GIS-based survey within seven days, rectification of deficiencies within 15 days and issuance of documents within 45 days.

“There are many challenges in the implementation of these announcements. Many legal hurdles will come up related to contradictions with previous norms, ownership disputes and contradictions related to the master plan. It is also fine that the process will be handed over to the Delhi Government, but for this they also need to set up a Town and Country Planning Department. Delhi is probably the only state which does not have a Town and Country Planning Department, due to the lack of which important aspects like infrastructure linkages and transport planning cannot be worked out and the Delhi Government just Acts like a post office asking DDA or MCD to intervene,” said former DDA commissioner AK Jain.

Jain said, “The impact in terms of revenue through property tax etc. is minimal as the revenue is nominal compared to the civic obligations of the MCD ranging from parks, water, sewage, drainage to roads. Overall, the announcement should have been more thought through and more professional rather than political.”

These properties will also have to pay property tax and other charges once regularization begins. Demolition may also be considered in case of any new unauthorized construction. The Center said the move marks a shift from an ownership-centric framework to a more comprehensive approach that integrates both ownership and regularization.