New Delhi [India], August 1 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced major decisions concerning the slum clusters of the capital.
She has directed the Railways, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and all government departments to ensure that no slum in Delhi is demolished. In cases where removal becomes unavoidable due to development projects or other reasons, alternative housing must be provided in advance, according to statement issued.
The Chief Minister further stated that approximately 50,000 houses constructed years ago in the outer areas of the city will be renovated and allocated to slum dwellers.
The Chief Minister has also taken two more decisions. She stated that if required, the government will amend the existing policy on slum clusters and will even approach the court to protect the housing rights of slum dwellers. CM Rekha Gupta emphasised that the pain of slum dwellers will not be ignored under any circumstances.
CM Rekha Gupta said that the slums in Delhi are an inseparable part of the national capital, with residents who have been living there for decades. She criticised the opposition for using slum dwellers as a political vote bank, asserting that her government is making sincere efforts to ensure their rightful recognition as residents of Delhi.
She added that continuous meetings are being held with various departments, and strong decisions are being taken to provide permanent settlement to slum dwellers.
The Delhi government has made it clear that no slum will be removed in the capital. Accordingly, directives have been issued to all concerned departments, including the Railways and DDA, to ensure that no slum is demolished.
The Chief Minister reiterated that if slums are removed for development or any other reason, alternative housing will be provided first. She also assured that if changes in the rules are necessary to protect slum dwellers, the government will not hesitate to make them.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that it is a matter of satisfaction that around 50,000 flats built years ago in the outer areas of Delhi will now be allotted to the poor. These dilapidated and vacant flats were constructed a few years ago under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). However, she expressed regret that the previous Delhi governments, despite claiming to work for the welfare of the poor and slum dwellers, never allocated these flats, rendering them uninhabitable over time.
The Chief Minister announced that these flats will now be handed over to slum dwellers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U). She further highlighted that under JNNURM, Delhi government departments DUSIB and DSIIDC were allocated crores of rupees. Yet, due to the inaction of previous governments, this amount around Rs 732 crore was supposed to be returned to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
However, the central government has now approved the use of these funds for the renovation of these dilapidated flats. According to the Chief Minister, these thousands of flats will soon provide housing to the city's slum dwellers.
The Chief Minister also stated that if required, the government would not hesitate to approach the court to protect the interests of slum dwellers. She added that her government has been holding continuous meetings to formulate a concrete plan.
Criticising previous administrations, she said it was unfortunate that the Congress Party, which established slum colonies in the names of leaders like Indira and Rajiv, never provided any facilities to the residents and treated them merely as a vote bank. She further remarked that the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government went even further in neglect. Despite making grand promises for the welfare of slum dwellers, they failed to provide even basic amenities.
"In these settlements, neither drinking water was supplied, nor roads or pavements constructed, nor proper drainage and sewer systems established. Instead, they left no stone unturned in pushing slum residents towards alcoholism," she said. The Chief Minister asserted that her government would now make the residents of these hundreds of slum clusters true citizens of Delhi so that they too can take pride in calling themselves Delhiites.