"No Slum Will Be Razed Without Rehabilitation": Delhi Chief Minister

NDTV

5 days ago

New Delhi:
In a move that could pause ongoing and future slum evictions across the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday ordered all agencies, including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Indian Railways, and other land-owning bodies to ensure no slum is demolished without first providing alternate housing to residents.
"No slum dweller in Delhi will be harassed anymore," Ms Gupta said, warning that her government would not tolerate evictions without rehabilitation.
Ms Gupta also announced a major housing revival plan - nearly 50,000 long-abandoned flats on the city's outskirts, originally built under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), will be renovated and allotted to eligible slum dwellers.
"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," she added.
These flats, according to officials, have been lying in disrepair for years and were never handed over to beneficiaries. The government now plans to refurbish them using over Rs 700 crore that had remained unused, and distribute them under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U).
The Chief Minister's directive makes it clear: no eviction for infrastructure or development purposes can take place without alternate housing being provided first.
"If slums are removed for development or any other reason, alternative housing will be provided first," Ms Gupta said.
She also indicated that the current policy governing slum clusters may soon be amended. The government, she added, would even approach the courts if required to ensure housing rights are protected.
"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," she said.
"Vote Bank Politics": Chief Minister's Swipe At Congress And AAP
Ms Gupta used the occasion to slam past governments, blaming both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the poor conditions in slum clusters.
"The Congress party, which established slum colonies in the names of leaders like Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, never provided any facilities to the residents and treated them merely as a vote bank," Ms Gupta said. "The previous AAP government went even further in neglect. Despite making grand promises for the welfare of slum dwellers, they failed to provide even basic amenities."
She painted a grim picture of the living conditions under previous administrations.
"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."
Ms Gupta said her government would now work to ensure that slum residents are no longer left behind.
"My government will 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."
What Data Says
675 slum clusters across Delhi, and are home to an estimated 3.06 lakh families. But the jurisdiction is fragmented - 50 per cent of these clusters are on DDA land, 23 per cent on land owned by PSUs or private entities, and the remaining 22 per cent fall under the MCD, DUSIB, or other state agencies.
In terms of distribution, South-East Delhi has the most slums (144 clusters), followed by North Delhi (109), and Central Delhi (92). North-East Delhi has the fewest, with just six clusters.
For many residents, even a short delay in allotment or a missing survey entry could mean the difference between legal protection and sudden homelessness.
Can The Promise Hold Ground?
With legal disputes, inter-agency turf wars, and pending surveys still unresolved, the Chief Minister's promises will be tested not in speeches, but on demolition sites. The question now is: will this shift from bulldozers to blueprints finally hold, or will slum dwellers once again be left watching from the sidelines?