New Delhi: Delhi government on Thursday relaxed norms to facilitate housing accommodation for majority of slum dwellers under its slum rehabilitation policy.
The decision to ease the norms to benefit slum dwellers was taken at a cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
As per the cabinet decision, families which settled in a slum cluster not later than June 4, 2009 would be eligible to get low-cost government flats. Earlier, the cut-off date was March 31, 2007.
The cabinet also decided to rehabilitate people squatting on spaces marked as right of way (RoW) for government projects such as roads and flyovers.
As per existing norms, such squatters are not eligible for any rehabilitation by the government. Those squatting on the right of way will be rehabilitated provided they fulfill specific conditions, officials said.
"The cabinet approved a simplified and liberal guidelines for relocation of slum clusters as recommended by a Group of Ministers," Dikshit said after the cabinet meeting.
There are 685 slum clusters in the city, out of which 352 have come up on land owned by DDA while 333 slums have come up on land owned by Delhi government, railways, CPWD, NDMC, MCD, Cantonment Board and CPWD.
Officials said the government has decided to remove any slum cluster only after receipt of financial contribution of land owning agency for construction of low-cost flats.
Dikshit said around 15,000 flats are ready for distribution and the process for their allotment among slum dwellers will start soon.
The flats were built by Delhi State Industrial
Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) in Bawana, Narela and Bhorgah area with financial assistance from the Union Urban Development Ministry under the JNURM scheme.
The slum dwellers from SC and ST community will get the flats free of cost as Delhi government has already decided to waive the fee of Rs 60,000 for them.
The cost of each of the 15,000 flats has been estimated at Rs 3.34 lakh, out of which the contribution of Delhi government and union government is Rs 62,000 and Rs 1.19 lakh respectively while the share of the land owning agency is Rs 93,000. The contribution of the beneficiary has been fixed at around Rs 60,000.
Construction of most of the 15,000 flats were completed almost three years ago but they could not be distributed due to procedural delays.
To make the city slum-free, the government has already decided to
construct around 70,000 low-cost flats for slum dwellers.
Officials said 15,000 flats will be distributed among residents of slums which have come up on land owned by Delhi government and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).
PTI
