The Hindu 20.12.2011
Action plan to make Capital slum-free by 2015 approved
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board on Monday approved an action plan to make Delhi a slum free city by 2015 and decided to take up phase-wise relocation of a large number of clusters. It also announced the decision to allot 1,400 flats in January as part of the first phase of its relocation plan.
At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the Board decided to begin allotment of residential units to jhuggi-jhonpri dwellers from January.
Following the meeting, Ms. Dikshit said DUSIB has been told to immediately start allotment of flats as per relocation plan of J.J. clusters. She asked the Board to initiate the process as the cut-off date has been changed from 2002 to 2007, the clusters for relocation have been identified and work related to identification of beneficiaries was also moving at a rapid pace.
The Chief Minister said it has been decided that allotment letters would be issued in the next month in case of 1,400 beneficiaries putting up in 13 clusters out of 46 clusters identified earlier for this purpose.
As for the financial burden on the beneficiaries, she said, those belonging to the Scheduled Caste category would be given the flats free of cost as their component amounting to Rs.60,000 would be paid by the Delhi Government.
The beneficiary contribution in respect of cut off date up to 2002 was decided at Rs.60,000 whereas for those falling in the 2002 to 2007 cut-off period, the amount was fixed at Rs.1,22,000.
Ms. Dikshit also told the Board to continue allotment of flats in a phase-wise manner to relocate maximum number of clusters. “This will benefit J.J. dwellers as they will have their dream flat in a developed locality and they will be relieved of putting up in congested and somewhat unhygienic conditions,'' she said.The Board also approved an action plan to make Delhi a slum-free city by 2015. Noting that Delhi's Slum Relocation Policy is the most liberal one, the Board said it will take up phase-wise relocation of a large number of clusters after an interval of six months duration.
It was pointed out that of the 685 J.J. clusters in Delhi, 352 had come up on Delhi Development Authority land and 333 on the land of various Departments under the Delhi Government. The Board will first concentrate on relocation of the 333 clusters, whereas DDA, Railways and Central Public Works Department will be urged to take up relocation work as per guidelines of the DUSIB.
In the Board meeting, the need to strengthen DUSIB was also stressed since the department had come up as a separate entity after transfer of slum department from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to the Delhi Government.
The Delhi Government has also decided to give a financial support to strengthen the Board to make it efficient for taking up the work relating to relocation of slums.
The Board will carry out repair works in slum rehabilitation scheme colonies and for this an amount of Rs.85 crore has been sanctioned. While out of this Rs. 27 crore will be utilised by the Delhi Jal Board and Rs.9 crore by the power distribution companies, DUSIB will spend the rest on its own.
