Not enough architects, students to help with regularised colonies

The municipal corporations do not have enough architects in the Town Planning department to survey all unauthorised colonies and prepare layout plans.

Hence, postgraduate students have been asked to help. The Delhi government had promised to undertake development work in recently regularised colonies, but the process of preparing layout plans for the 1,000 regularised colonies seems to have hit a roadblock due to shortage of funds and staff.

According to the civic agencies, the lack of funds means the students carrying out surveys and preparing layout plans cannot be paid. The rate quoted by the institutes is Rs 1 lakh per acre for the project.

“A meeting will be held on Monday to discuss how to proceed. There is also talk of providing these universities interest-free loans till funds can be allocated for the purpose, under the budget for the next financial year,’’ a source said.

The three municipal corporations have already begun carrying out surveys in five colonies, but have not been able to extend this work to other colonies due to lack of funds. The Delhi government, meanwhile, is also trying to get funding under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission-II.

With the Assembly elections just around the corner, the Congress-led Delhi government has been trying to fast-track development works in regularised colonies to woo the voters in those

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