Legalization of 450 illegal colonies hits roadblock

Indore: Hopes of the residents of over 450 unauthorized colonies diminished after various government departments raised objections over their regularisation.While Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has legalized over 200 colonies in previous phases, the remaining cases are entangled in complex land-use disputes and missing no-objection certificates (NOCs).According to IMC additional commissioner Manoj Pathak, the regularization process hit a roadblock after IMC published public notices for the remaining colonies. Departments including Nazul, IDA, T&CP, and Housing Board filed numerous objections.ACS Sanjay Dubey said that the legalization policy was primarily intended for colonies developed on private land without prior permissions. "There is currently no provision to legalize colonies developed on urban land ceiling land, green belts, or land belonging to the IDA and Housing Board," he said.Investigation by IMC's colony cell has identified several critical issues. Over 150 colonies are situated on land previously designated under the urban land ceiling act. Although the act was repealed in 2000, these lands remain legally disputed. Many colonies were carved out in protected green belts or on plots reserved for parks and public pathways.These settlements fail to meet basic urban planning criteria, such as approved layout plans and development fee compliance.For the few colonies that do manage to clear these hurdles, the benefits are significant. Once legalized, residents become eligible for bank loans against their property. Development funds from the Amrit Yojana, MP, and MLA funds can be legally spent on infrastructure.Residents are also encouraged to form resident welfare associations to streamline the delivery of civic amenities.