In a landmark decision offering relief to lakhs of residents living in non-regularized urban pockets, the Haryana government on August 3 officially notified the “Haryana Management of Civic Amenities and Infrastructure Deficient Municipal Areas (Special Provisions) Amendment Act.” The notification paves the way for the administration to spend public funds on development works in unauthorized colonies that were previously barred from receiving official municipal aid.
📜 The Notification: Legal Hurdle Removed The Department of Urban Local Bodies issued the notification following the Governor’s assent.
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The Core Change: The Act amends the previous regulations to allow the government to provide essential services in areas classified as “deficient” in infrastructure, regardless of their regularization status.
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Scope: This covers colonies within municipal limits that lack basic amenities like paved roads, water supply, sewerage, and streetlights.
🚧 What This Means for Residents For years, residents in unauthorized colonies faced a “development deadlock”—they paid taxes but received no municipal services because the law prohibited spending on “illegal” settlements.
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Immediate Impact: Municipal Corporations and Councils can now tender projects for laying water pipes, building streets, and installing LED lights in these neglected zones.
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** regularization Path:** While this is not full regularization, it is seen as a precursor, ensuring that living conditions improve immediately while the legal status is sorted out.
🗣️ Official Stance “We are committed to the principle of ‘Sabka Vikas.’ No citizen should be forced to live in squalor simply due to technical categorizations of their colony,” a spokesperson from the Urban Local Bodies Ministry stated. “This notification authorizes local bodies to start work immediately.”
🏘️ Urban Transformation Town planners suggest this move will drastically improve hygiene and safety in cities like Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, and Rohtak, where a significant population lives in such “deficient” areas.
