'Palam 360' delegation urges Delhi minister to restore mutation

New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) A 'Palam 360' delegation (Gram Sabha) met Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gehlot on Tuesday and handed over its recommendations regarding development of villages and land acquisition issues.The delegation urged the Delhi government to restore the mutation process for properties in Delhi, which will pave the way for ownership of properties in the village areas.Chaudhary Surendra Solanki, head of 'Palam 360', said, "The mutation process must be restored in Delhi so that villagers can get real ownership of their properties. The mutation process takes place after the property is registered in the name of the new owner in order to update the municipal records. One cannot claim complete ownership of property until the mutation is done."The delegation also urged the Delhi government to stop the acquisition of Gram Sabha lands. They said the lands should be used for the development of villages, and not for commercial purposes."The Delhi Development Authority acquires Gram Sabha's land and it develops commercial buildings with private builders. For example, if DDA develops community centres on Gram Sabha's land, they should be made free for the villagers, but the DDA takes heavy charges. We have demanded that this process should be stopped immediately," Solanki added.The delegation also demanded that around Rs 4,000 crore deposited in the banks of the Gram Sabha should be used for the development of the villages and the countryside through social panchayats.
--IANS pd/arm