MCD readies SWAGAM portal for regularisation of 1,511 unauthorised colonies

The SWAGAM portal of Municipal Corporation of Delhi has undergone demo testing for its integration with the government’s main portal and is being readied for public use, as the civic body prepares to roll out the regularisation process for 1,511 unauthorised colonies, officials said on Saturday.

More than 50 per cent of drone surveys across the identified colonies have already been completed, forming a base for mapping structures, road networks, and geo-fencing properties.

The survey data will feed into the portal, enabling residents to apply for the regularisation of their properties, they said.

The portal has been redesigned to avoid technical jargon, akin to simplified banking applications, ensuring that applicants are able to navigate it without confusion.

“The portal linkage is currently underway. We conducted a demo on Friday and made a few changes to simplify the language so that even a layman can easily understand the process, the areas involved, and the implications of their applications,” a senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said.

The officials said a key provision in the process relates to floor area ratio (FAR).

“Any construction exceeding the permissible FAR under the master plan for Delhi will attract penal charges three times the normal additional FAR charges,” the official said.

Clarifying that there is no single uniform charge for the regularisation of properties, the official said, “There are multiple components, including an application fee and a scrutiny fee, which will be levied. For instance, the scrutiny fee is Rs 10 per square metre. So, for a built-up area of 1,000 square metres, the fee will be Rs 10,000.”

The regularisation process will be carried out through around 700 empanelled architects, who will prepare and upload the building plan of the existing structure on the portal after ownership rights are granted, the civic body said.

“The architect will certify the details and upload the plan showing what already exists on the ground, whether it is two floors or three floors. This plan will then become part of the permanent record once the regularisation certificate is issued,” the official said.

Another MCD official said that residents who do not yet have ownership rights under the PM-UDAY framework are likely to receive them within a month.

Following this, the MCD will process the applications for regularisation, also within a month.

“In the initial phase, around 40,000 residents who have already secured ownership rights will be eligible to apply directly on the SWAGAM portal,” he said, adding that once regularisation is complete, the civic body will move towards planning and upgrading infrastructure and basic amenities in these colonies.

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