Vibha SharmaNew Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has activated its Swagam portal, enabling residents of 1,511 unauthorised colonies to apply for regularisation of their properties.Officials said directions have been issued to all 12 zonal deputy commissioners and building department staff to sensitise residents about the service and assist them.To streamline the process, 711 architects have been empanelled by the civic body to help applicants obtain documents and pursue their cases for regularisation certificates, including those properties which received initial approval through the Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM UDAY) portal.Applicants must ensure that their properties fall within the 1,511 unauthorised colonies notified by the Centre in a gazette notification issued on April 6.Approvals will be granted on an “as-is-where-is” basis under the PM UDAY scheme, meaning plots will be regularised in their existing condition, subject to certain conditions, as layout plans for these colonies are yet to be prepared.Officials clarified that in cases where construction exceeds the permissible floor area ratio (FAR), applicants will be required to pay penal FAR charges. Horizontal expansion will not be considered at this stage. However, at the time of reconstruction, property owners will need to ensure a minimum 6-metre road width, which may require surrendering up to 50% of land on either side, depending on deficiencies.The current system is primarily designed for applicants who have already registered on the PM UDAY portal and obtained an ID after document verification. Once this ID is entered on the Swagam portal, previously submitted documents will be auto-fetched. Applicants must also upload scanned copies of identity proof—such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID or driving licence, along with photographs.“The applicants can select one of the empanelled architects, who will prepare and submit the required documents, including building plans reflecting actual site conditions with penal FAR clearly marked. A structural stability certificate from an empanelled engineer, duly signed and endorsed by the property owner, is also mandatory. Clear photographs of the property — front, side, and rear views — must be uploaded. Architects will use a separate login to complete these submissions,” an official said.In cases where applicants have not previously applied for regularisation, the portal will redirect them to the PM UDAY platform, currently managed by Delhi government, where they must complete the application process and obtain an ID before proceeding.MCD has directed officials to organise awareness camps across colonies. Workshops are also being planned for architects handling large volumes of applications to familiarise them with the process.Although the portal has been operational for regularised colonies, services for the 1,511 unauthorised colonies became available on April 24.Officials said response has been limited so far, but preparations are under way with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to handle a potential surge in applications. “We will make the system more refined including automatic calculation of additional FAR as soon as properties details are submitted,” said officials.
