NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta declared on Friday that no slum residents in Delhi will face harassment. She emphasized that her government is prepared to amend existing policies and may even seek court intervention to safeguard their housing rights.
Gupta urged all governmental bodies, including the Indian Railways and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), to avoid demolishing jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) clusters within the city.
She stated that adjustments to the slum policy could occur if necessary to protect the inhabitants’ rights.
The government plans to renovate 50,000 old houses constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, allocating these residences to slum dwellers. These units will soon be distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U), Gupta added.
Gupta has taken significant actions regarding slum clusters in the capital, mandating that all related departments, including the Railways and DDA, ensure no slum is demolished, as articulated in a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
“If removal becomes necessary due to development projects or other factors, alternative housing must be arranged in advance,” she explained.
Gupta reiterated that the government would amend current slum policies if necessary and may seek judicial assistance to uphold the housing rights of slum residents. She stressed that slums are an integral aspect of Delhi, housing long-time residents.
Her comments follow criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress regarding recent demolitions of slum areas, including the Madarsi camp near Barapullah drain in South Delhi.
Gupta accused the opposition of treating slum residents as a “vote bank” and asserted that her administration is committed to ensuring they are acknowledged as rightful residents of Delhi.
Regular meetings are being conducted with various departments, and decisive measures are underway to provide permanent housing to slum inhabitants. The Delhi government has affirmed that no slum will be removed, she concluded.
Moreover, Gupta indicated that all relevant departments, including the Railways and DDA, have been instructed to refrain from demolishing any slum structures.
In total, there are 675 slum clusters in Delhi housing over three lakh dwellings. Approximately 50% of these slums are situated on DDA land, about 23% on government or private land, and 22% on land owned by agencies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, according to the statement.
South-East Delhi has the highest concentration, with 144 slum clusters, followed by North Delhi with 109, Central Delhi with 92, and so on across various regions of the city.
