`Lt. Governor working against slum dwellers'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 10. The Jehangirpuri Congress(I) MLA, Mr. Jile Singh Chauhan, today accused Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor, Mr.Vijai Kapoor, of working against the interests of lakhs of people living in the unauthorised colonies by rejecting the proposal for regularisation of 238 colonies which were identified through an aerial survey by the previous BJP Government.

Addressing a press conference here, along with the Gandhi Nagar MLA, Mr. Arvinder Singh Lovely, he said these colonies had come up before the 1993 deadline proposed for regularisation. These colonies, along with the list of 1,071 unauthorised colonies proposed for regularisation, had been identified by the BJP Government. The Delhi Assembly had also passed a resolution regarding their regularisation in accordance with the policy laid down by Indira Gandhi in 1976-77.

However, he said the Lieutenant-Governor, at the behest of some BJP leaders and a senior officer, had rejected the file for carrying out developmental works in these 238 colonies. It is quite clear that Mr. Kapoor is working in line with the saffron agenda and has been taking decisions at the behest of the BJP leadership. ``The Sheila Dikshit Government had formulated a scheme for carrying out civic works in these colonies but an officer of the Delhi Government with strong BJP leanings forwarded the file to Mr. Kapoor with uncalled for objections. This led to rejection of the file by Raj Niwas which is unfortunate,'' he claimed.

Mr. Chauhan said the Lieutenant-Governor was exceeding his brief on administrative matters. As per the NCT Act, he was supposed to act only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. He cannot take any individual decision. He only represents the President and cannot take arbitrary decisions. Any dispute has to be referred to the President for redressal. ``Mr. Kapoor is working under the influence of the Union Home Minister. We will agitate if need arises,'' he stated.

He charged that Mr. Kapoor was working with a political agenda and his decisions were most of time motivated. He cited the case of enhancement of land compensation in which the Lt-Governor had raised a number of objections. He said providing water in these colonies was a human problem but unfortunately this was not felt by Mr. Kapoor. He also questioned the justification of curtailment of electric supply.

Mr. Lovely said instead of concentrating on Delhi, the Union Home Minister should concentrate on setting right the law and order situation in the country. Both warned that if the interests of the unauthorised colonies residents were compromised, the Congress(I) MLAs would sit in dharna in front of Raj Niwas and also gherao Mr. Kapoor.

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