New Delhi: Starting Friday, residents of Delhi’s unauthorized colonies will be able to apply for property registration through a new, streamlined system put in place by the government in a move to grant ownership rights to nearly 10 lakh households.Residents owning properties in the city’s 1,511 unauthorized colonies need to visit the Swagam portal of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and log in. Those who have already registered under the PM-UDAY scheme can use their existing login credentials on the Swagam portal, which will avoid duplication of records.The revenue department of Delhi govt is managing the PM-UDAY portal, which issues the PM-UDAY card, essential for the registration process. Those who do not yet have the card will first need to apply for it through the PM-UDAY portal. Once issued, the card enables them to initiate the property regularization process.“After obtaining the PM-UDAY card, applicants must return to the Swagam portal to file their request for either an authorization slip or a conveyance deed,” said an official.Once the application is submitted, the process will become largely automated. “The system will transfer the application to National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), where the final stage of property registration is completed,” he added.For making the process smooth, govt has integrated three key platforms — Swagam, PM-UDAY and NGDRS — which will ensure seamless processing of applications.The move follows central government’s April 7 decision to relax the norms for regularisation. Of Delhi’s 1,731 unauthorized colonies, 1,511 will now be regularised on an “as-is, where-is” basis, removing the earlier requirement for approved layout plans. Property owners can get building plans prepared by empaneled architects and submit applications online.“The registration process has been made simple and applicant-friendly. It is transparent and will also help reduce delays. Because most of the process is online and timelines are fixed, people should get their ownership documents much faster than before, without having to make repeated visits to govt offices,” an official said.According to the timelines, a GIS-based survey report will be generated within seven days of an application, while any deficiencies will be flagged within 15 days through a deficiency resolution memo. The final conveyance deed, which establishes legal ownership, is expected to be issued within 45 days of the application.To ensure smooth implementation, 13 district-level teams — one for each district — have been set up under the leadership of the respective additional district magistrates. Each team will have several officials who will oversee ground-level execution.The authorization move will unlock infrastructure development in these areas where lakhs of people have lived without functional infrastructure. The legal tag is likely to lead to greater investment in these areas by government for better roads, drainage systems and other civic amenities.An official said that to prevent fresh unauthorized construction, authorities are considering plans to deploy AI-enabled drone surveys at two-month intervals. The surveys will help monitor new structures and alterations, enabling timely enforcement.
