Govt focusing on rehabilitation of slum dwellers: Hardeep Puri

The Centre is committed to rehabilitating slum dwellers in Delhi and there is less than one 'jhuggi' per acre of land earmarked for their resettlement, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour, Minister for Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri said the Centre has already provided alternative accommodation to the eligible people but only a few have occupied the flats and many of them have gone to court.

He said the policy of the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi enunciated on December 11, 2017 is being followed for rehabilitation of slum dwellers.

The policy stipulates that the eligibility for rehabilitation should be there for all 'jhuggi-jhopri' and 'bastis' which came up before January 1, 2006 and those which came up before January 1, 2015 shall not be demolished before providing compensation and no new ones are allowed to come up.

"We have provided alternative accommodation to the eligible people but only a few of them have occupied the flats," he told the House, adding that many of them have moved courts and several 'jhuggi' dwellers have sought stays.

"The seven government colonies which are coming up for redevelopment are spread over an area of 536 acres and the number of 'jhuggi' households identified are 507, which means less than one jhuggi in less than one acre of land," he said.

Puri said in terms of eligibility for rehabilitation, 100 EWS flats have been purchased from DDA. But, after that a large number of jhuggi dwellers, whether eligible or not, have gone to the courts and obtained a number of stays.

"Out of 370 or so JJ clusters, we have already done surveys on 210 of them. Recently the prime minister released 3000 flats in Kalkaji to the beneficiaries and two such other projects are ready," he said.

The minister said we are also in an advanced stage of processing the conversion of all JJ clusters under DDA which will provide modern flats, except those clusters which are under DUCIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board).

The central government will conduct a survey and get them built into modern flats since the Delhi government has not moved on them, Puri said.

The minister also suggested that the word informal settlements be used instead of slums.

In his written reply, the minister said the Central Government is implementing the project for redevelopment of seven General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies in Delhi, which are spread over an area of 536 acres.

"The area of each of these seven colonies is – Sarojini Nagar 255 acres, Netaji Nagar 111 acres, Nauroji Nagar 25 acres, Kasturba Nagar 50 acres, Thyagraj Nagar 14 acres, Srinivaspuri 73 acres and Mohammadpur 8 acres.

"Under this GPRA redevelopment project, 12,970 existing old houses are being replaced by 19,206 number of new houses. The 'jhuggis' in the project area, which are eligible for rehabilitation/relocation in terms of the eligibility criteria prescribed in the policy notified by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, are offered suitable accommodation," he said

Puri said the eligibility criteria, inter-alia, includes existence of 'jhuggi-jhopri basti' prior to 01.01.2006 and jhuggi before 01.01.2015 in such jhuggi-jhopri basti.

"In these colonies, there are 507 number of 'jhuggi' households out of which 113 are eligible 'jhuggi' households and 394 are ineligible 'jhuggi' households.

"For rehabilitation/relocation of eligible 'jhuggi' households, 100 EWS flats at Narela have been purchased from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), out of which 90 have been allotted to eligible 'jhuggi' households, out of which five have already taken possession of the new flats. However, 18 eligible 'jhuggi' households of Thyagraj Nagar (Prem Nagar) have obtained a stay from Hon'ble High Court of Delhi," the minister said.

"No proposal has been received from the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi for development of slums," the minister also said.