India, April 27 -- Even as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched an online portal and issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for regularising properties in 1,511 unauthorised colonies, officials and stakeholders said the process remains cumbersome.

High penal floor area ratio (FAR) charges and extensive documentation requirements, including structural safety certificates, mean applicants must navigate a complex financial and procedural framework, officials said.

A senior government official said properties are being regularised on an "as is, where is" basis, but applications must still meet multiple conditions.

Data from the Swagam portal on April 26 shows that 80 applications have been approved so far, while 153 h...