Delhi BJP chief welcomes govt's decision on slum rehabilitation
New Delhi, June 23
Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra on Tuesday welcomed the announcement by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta-led government to provide rehabilitation benefits to all city slum settlements existing till January 1, 2025
He said the announcement followed a meeting held last week with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Malhotra said that in the Sankalp Patra released by the BJP before the Assembly elections in January 2025, the party had promised rehabilitation for residents of all slum settlements in Delhi, and today, within just 16 months, the BJP government has fulfilled its commitment by implementing it.
The Delhi BJP President said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP delivers on its promises, and providing rehabilitation benefits to all slum settlements in Delhi is part of that continuous commitment.
Earlier, Chief Minister Gupta announced that residents of all slum clusters established in the city up to January 1, 2025, will now be eligible for rehabilitation benefits.
This decision was taken at the 36th meeting of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), chaired by Chief Minister Gupta, an official said.
Delhi has 675 slum clusters spread across various districts.
The 675 slum clusters in Delhi comprise approximately 3.06 lakh (306,000) slum dwellings. Spread over a total area of 804.5 hectares, about 50 per cent of these slums are located on DDA land.
Around 23 per cent are on government/public sector or private land, while 22 per cent are on land owned by agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and DUSIB.
The South-East Delhi district accounts for the highest number with 144 clusters, followed by North Delhi with 109, Central Delhi with 92, and West Delhi with 68. Shahdara has 54 clusters, New Delhi 49, South-West Delhi 46, and East Delhi 43. North-West Delhi has 34 clusters, South Delhi has 30, and North-East Delhi has 6.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I've always seen slums as a blight on Delhi's landscape, but these are people's homes we're talking about. If the government is serious about making Delhi a world-class city, they need to ensure everyone has a roof over their head. DDA land being 50% of it is interesting - at least the land ownership isn't a mess there. 675 clusters affecting 3 lakh families is no joke. Let's hope the rehabilitation is in decent in-city locations, not some far-off Tughlakabad extension where jobs and schools are inaccessible.
As someone from the US who has worked on urban planning projects in India, I find this fascinating. The 36th DUSIB meeting shows they're actively discussing this. 3.06 lakh dwellings is huge - that's like rehabilitating a small city within a city. The challenge will be ensuring these new communities have access to water, electricity, and sanitation. Good luck to the Delhi government - this could be a model for other states if done right.
South-East Delhi having 144 clusters is no surprise - that area has seen massive construction, and many workers have settled there. But why only clusters existing till January 1, 2025? What about new slums that might emerge tomorrow? This feels like a political move to reap benefits now. Also, I wish they'd share more details - are we talking about in-situ rehabilitation, or are they going to move people to the periphery? The devil is always in the detail, yaar.
BJP fulfills its Sankalp Patra promises - that's something other parties should learn from! Modi ji's guarantee is working on the ground. But I'm curious about the time frame - 16 months is fast for government work, but will we see actual houses built within 2 years? Delhi's slum population has been waiting for decades. Let's hope this isn't just another photo-op announcement. 🙏
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