While the Delhi Pradesh BJP was quick to take credit for the city government's decision as a promise made in their manifesto, the Congress lambasted the move as a ``ludicrous election stunt''.

At a press conference on Saturday, the BJP Delhi unit president, Mange Ram Garg, was all praise for the Delhi Government and its resolve to ``help the economically poorer sections''.

``The BJP had promised in its election manifesto that the 46 resettlement colony dwellers would be granted ownership rights of their houses and the other was that the unauthorised colonies would be regularised. The Delhi government has moved on both counts. These were problems which affect the lives of half of Delhi's population,'' he said.

Garg, however, was especially keen to disseminate the information in the right quarters. He called upon BJP workers living in these areas to apprise the people of resettlement colonies of the Delhi government's decision.

``To help them understand the process of obtaining the `certificates of ownership rights' and in completing all the formalities,'' Garg said.

The Delhi government will be charging Rs 5,500 from the original allottees of the JJ colony plots and Rs 15,000 from the unauthorised occupants having power of attorney or any other legal instrument to show his/her occupancy.

Those who deposit a lump sum amount will be give a 10 per cent discount and the amount has to be deposited within 10 days from September 15. Others will be provided installment facility spread over five years. The estimated Rs 175 crore that the process will be generate is supposed to go towards the development of the slum areas.

Attacking the Delhi government, former Congress MP and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) vice-president Sajjan Kumar said, ``The Chief Minister is trying to befuddle the people of Delhi. The decision to confer ownership rights on the residents of these colonies on a onetime charge of Rs 1,250 was already taken by the Congress in 1991 and the DDA had also made an announcement at that time.''

``The BJP government's decision to increase the onetime charge from Rs 1,250 to Rs 5,500 for the original allotees and Rs 15,000 for the so-called unauthorised occupants with `legal proof' of their occupancy is arbitrary. It is beyond the means of the poor and is an illegal move.''

But the BJP's Delhi unit was too engrossed in counting their gains to pay heed to the Congress allegations. ``The BJP has achieved much more in five years than what the Congress had done in its long stint. On the other important issue which is pending -- the regularisation of the unauthorised colonies will also happen as soon as the court gives the order,'' Garg triumphantly said.