What Happened
- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced regularisation of 1,531 unauthorised colonies in Delhi under the PM-UDAY scheme without requiring layout plan approval
- Colonies will be regularised on an "As Is, Where Is" basis — existing constructions accepted in their current form and granted legal status
- Applications for ownership rights open from April 24, 2026
- Fast-tracked timeline: 7 days for GIS survey, 15 days to rectify deficiencies, strict 45-day deadline for conveyance deeds
- ADM-level officers designated as single-point approval authorities under Delhi's Revenue Department
- Out of 1,731 total unauthorised colonies in Delhi, 1,531 are now being regularised without layout plan requirement
Static Topic Bridges
PM-UDAY Scheme (Pradhan Mantri — Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana)
PM-UDAY is a Central Government scheme enacted in 2019 to confer ownership and transfer/mortgage rights to residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. It recognises documents like General Power of Attorney (GPA), Will, Agreement to Sell, and Possession Letters as valid evidence for property registration. Properties can be registered at nominal rates under this scheme.
- Launched: October 2019
- Total unauthorised colonies covered: 1,731
- Agency: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in coordination with Revenue Department
- Portal: pmuday.ncog.gov.in
- Rights conferred: ownership, mortgage, and transfer rights
- Eligible documents: GPA, Will, Agreement to Sell, Possession Letter, payment receipts
Connection to this news: The 2026 announcement fast-tracks PM-UDAY by eliminating the layout plan requirement for 1,531 colonies and simplifying the approval chain to ADM level, directly addressing the scheme's long-pending implementation bottleneck.
Unauthorised Colonies and Urban Governance
Unauthorised colonies are residential settlements that grew without adhering to official land-use plans and building byelaws. Delhi has over 1,731 such colonies, housing an estimated 30–40 lakh residents. These residents historically lacked formal title deeds, preventing access to formal credit markets, making it difficult to sell or mortgage property, and exposing residents to demolition risk.
- In Delhi, unauthorised colonies are distinct from slums (jhuggi-jhopri clusters)
- They often developed on agricultural or revenue land converted informally
- Regularisation requires balancing property rights with urban planning norms
- Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is the nodal body for urban land management in Delhi under the DDA Act, 1957
Connection to this news: The as-is where-is approach trades off strict planning compliance for social equity — prioritising housing security for millions of long-term residents over retroactive enforcement of layout norms.
Constitutional and Legislative Framework for Property Rights
Article 300A of the Constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of their property save by authority of law. The Registration Act, 1908 and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 govern property transfers. The PM-UDAY scheme operates through the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, which has provided protection from demolition to unauthorised colonies.
- Article 300A: Right to property as a constitutional right (not fundamental right since 44th Amendment, 1978)
- NCT of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act: repeatedly extended to protect unauthorised colonies from demolition
- Conveyance deed: the formal document transferring ownership title
- GIS (Geographic Information System) surveys used to map colony boundaries and individual plots digitally
Connection to this news: The scheme uses GIS technology and fast-tracked deed issuance to operationalise Article 300A rights for millions who had de facto possession but lacked de jure title.
Key Facts & Data
- 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi, of which 1,531 now regularised without layout plan requirement
- Estimated 30–40 lakh residents in unauthorised colonies
- PM-UDAY launched October 2019
- Application portal: pmuday.ncog.gov.in
- Conveyance deed issuance target: 45 days from application
- GIS survey window: 7 days per colony
- Previous progress: 7,576 conveyance deeds and authorisation slips issued by 2021
- ADM (Additional District Magistrate) designated as single-point authority
- Delhi CM Rekha Gupta made the announcement on April 7, 2026