NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is set to offer modern amenities to slum dwellers, including shopping complexes, parking areas, and e-rickshaw charging stations, as part of an upcoming rehabilitation and resettlement policy, according to sources.
The proposed policy also considers amenities like schools, Jan Suvidha Kendras, and specific sanitation facilities for women. The plan is in its final stages and is expected to be finalized this month.
The government intends to extend the eligibility cut-off date for existing policies by approximately ten years—from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2025—thereby allowing many more slum residents to qualify for permanent housing.
Currently, Delhi is home to around 750 slum clusters, with nearly half situated on land allocated to central government bodies like the Railways, the Land and Development Office (L&DO), and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is responsible for their rehabilitation.
The remaining clusters exist on land owned by the Delhi government, where rehabilitation efforts are managed by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) under the Urban Development Department.
As of now, slum rehabilitation in the capital adheres to the Delhi Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy of 2015, which focuses on providing alternative housing either at the same site or within a 5 km radius. Slum dwellers need to pay between Rs 1.12 lakh and Rs 1.41 lakh for a 25 square meter housing unit, in addition to Rs 30,000 for five years of maintenance.
Since 2008, the Delhi government, through DUSIB and the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation, has built 52,584 flats across various locations including Dwarka, Sultanpuri, Bhalswa-Jahangirpuri, Savda Ghevra, Pooth Khurd, and Tikri Kalan to assist in rehabilitating slum dwellers.
