THE DELHI LAWS (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 2006 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and duration. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Enforcement to be kept in abeyance. 
4.  The provisions of this Act not to apply in certain cases. 
5.  Power of Central Government to give directions. 

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THE DELHI LAWS (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 2006 

ACT No. 22 OF 2006 

[19th May, 2006.] 

An Act to make special provisions for the areas of Delhi for a period of one year and for matters 

connected therewith or incidental thereto. 

WHEREAS phenomenal increase in the population owing to migration has put tremendous pressure on 
land and infrastructure in Delhi resulting in developments which are not in consonance with the Master 
Plan of Delhi 2001 and the building bye-laws; 

AND  WHEREAS  keeping in view the perspective for the year 2021 and emerging new dimensions in 
urban development, the Central Government has proposed extensive modifications in the Master Plan of 
Delhi, which have been published and suggestions and objections have been received in respect thereof 
from the public, and the finalisation of the Master Plan 2021 is likely to take some more time; 

AND  WHEREAS  the  Central  Government  has  constituted  a  Committee  of  Experts  to  look  into  the 
various  aspects  of  unauthorised  construction  and  misuse  of  premises  and  suggest  a  comprehensive 
strategy to deal with them; 

AND  WHEREAS  a  revised  policy  for  relocation  and  rehabilitation  of  slum  dwellers  in  Delhi  is  also 

under consideration of the Central Government; 

AND WHEREAS a strategy is proposed to be prepared by the local authorities in Delhi in accordance 

with the National Policy for Urban Street Vendors; 

AND WHEREAS action for violation of the provisions of the Master Plan,2001 and building bye-laws, 
before  a  final  view  is  taken  in  the  matter  by  the  Government,  is  causing  avoidable  hardship  and 
irreparable loss to a large number of people; 

AND  WHEREAS  some  time  is  required  for  making  orderly  arrangements  in  terms  of  the  proposed 

Master Plan 2021; 

AND WHEREAS it is expedient to have a law to provide temporary relief to the people of Delhi against 
such action for a period of one year within which various policy issues referred to above are expected to 
be finalised; 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

1. Short title, extent and duration.—(1) This Act may be called the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) 

Act, 2006. 

(2) It extends to Delhi. 

(3) It shall cease to have effect on the expiry of one year from the date of its commencement, except 
as respects things done or omitted to be done before such cesser, and upon such cesser section 6 of the 
General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897), shall apply as if this Act had then been repealed by a Central 
Act. 

2. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a)  “building  bye-laws”  means  bye-laws  made  under  section  481  of  the  Delhi  Municipal 
Corporation  Act,  1957  (66  of  1957)  or  the  bye-laws  made  under  section  188,  sub-section  (3)  of 
section 189 and sub-section (1) of section 190 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 (Punjab Act 3 of 
1911),  as  in  force in  New Delhi  or  the regulations  made  under  sub-section  (1) of  section  57  of  the 
Delhi Development Act, 1957 (61 of 1957), relating to buildings; 

(b)  “Delhi”  means  the  entire  area  of  the  National  Capital  Territory  of  Delhi  except  the  Delhi 
Cantonment  as  defined  in  clause  (11)  of  section  2  of  the  Delhi  Municipal  Corporation  Act,  1957         
(66 of 1957); 

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(c) “encroachment” means unauthorised occupation of Government land or public land by way of 
putting  temporary,  semi-permanent  or  permanent  structure  for  residential  use  or  commercial  use  or 
any other use; 

(d)  “local  authority”  means  the  Delhi  Municipal  Corporation  established  under  the  Delhi 
Municipal  Corporation  Act,  1957  (66  of  1957),  or  the  New  Delhi  Municipal  Council  established 
under the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (44 of 1994) or the Delhi Development Authority 
established under the Delhi Development Act, 1957 (61 of 1957), legally entitled to exercise control 
in respect of the areas under their respective jurisdiction; 

(e) “Master Plan” means the Master Plan for Delhi 2001 notified under the Delhi Development 

Act, 1957; 

(f) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette; 

(g)  “punitive  action”  means  action  taken  by  a  local  authority  under  the  relevant  law  against 
unauthorised  development  and  shall  include  demolition,  sealing  of  premises  and  displacement  of 
persons  or  their  business  establishment  from  their  existing  location,  whether  in pursuance  of  Court 
orders or otherwise; 

(h) “relevant law” means in case of— 

(i) the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi Development Act, 1957 (61 of 1957); 

(ii)  the  Municipal  Corporation  of  Delhi,  the  Delhi  Municipal  Corporation  Act,  1957              

(66 of 1957); and 

(iii)  the  New  Delhi  Municipal  Council,  the  New  Delhi  Municipal  Council  Act,  1994               

(44 of 1994); 

(i) “unauthorised development” means use of land or use of building or construction of building 
carried out in contravention of the sanctioned plans or without obtaining the sanction of plans, or in 
contravention of the land use as permitted under the Master Plan or Zonal Plan or layout plan, as the 
case may be, and includes encroachment. 

(2)  The  words  and  expressions  used  but  not  defined  herein  shall  have  the  meanings  respectively 
assigned to them in the Delhi Development Act, 1957 (61 of 1957), the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 
1957 (66 of 1957) and the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (44 of 1994). 

3. Enforcement to be kept in abeyance.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any relevant 
law or any rules, regulations or bye-laws made thereunder, the Central Government shall within a period 
of  one  year  of  the  coming  into  effect  of  this  Act,  take  all  possible  measures  to  finalise  norms,  policy 
guidelines and feasible strategies to deal with the problem of unauthorised development with regard to the 
under-mentioned categories, namely:— 

(a) mixed land use not conforming to the Master Plan; 

(b) construction beyond sanctioned plans; and 

(c) encroachment by slum and Jhuggi-Jhompri dwellers and hawkers and street vendors, 

so that the development of Delhi takes place in a sustainable and planned manner. 

(2) Subject to the provisions contained in sub-section (1) and notwithstanding any judgment, decree 
or order of any court, status quo as on the 1st day of January, 2006 shall be maintained in respect of the 
categories of unauthorised development mentioned in sub-section (1). 

(3) All notices issued by any local authority for initiating action against the categories of unauthorised 
development referred to in sub-section(1), shall be deemed to have been suspended and no punitive action 
shall be taken during the said period of one year. 

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision contained in this Act, the Central Government may, at any 
time  before  the  expiry  of  one  year,  withdraw  the  exemption  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette  in 
respect  of  one  or  more  of  the  categories  of  unauthorised  development  mentioned  in  sub-section  (2)  or  
sub-section (3), as the case may be. 

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4. The provisions of this Act not to apply in certain cases.—During the period of operation of this 
Act, no relief shall be available under the provisions of section 3 in respect of the following categories of 
unauthorised development, namely:— 

(a) any construction unauthorised started or continued on or after the 1st day of January, 2006; 

(b) commencement of any commercial activity in residential areas in violation of the provisions 

of the Master Plan of Delhi 2001 on or after the 1st day of January, 2006; 

(c)  encroachment  on  public  land  except  in  those  cases  which  are  covered  under  clause  (c)  of  

sub-section (1) of section 3; 

(d) removal of slums and Jhuggi-Jhompri dwellers and hawkers and street vendors, in accordance 
with  the  relevant  policies  approved  by  the  Central  Government  for  clearance  of  land  required  for 
specific public projects. 

5. Power of Central Government to give directions.—The Central Government may, from time to 
time, issue such directions to the local authorities as it may deem fit, for giving effect to the provisions of 
this Act and it shall be the duty of the local authorities, to comply with such directions. 

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