575 residents of the Bhoomiheen Camp cluster of the Kalkaji extension in Delhi were handed over keys to their upgraded lifestyle. Residents showed gratitude and relief for their decades of waiting for better living conditions.
There had been some development pertaining to housing for economically weaker sections of society in urban areas when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the inauguration of 3,024 flats under the Housing for all scheme on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022. The move came in as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban, which aims to supply economically poor citizens with improved housing facilities. The targetted localities include south Delhi’s Kalkaji Extension, where the construction has been said to be complete. Moreover, in two more areas, namely, Kathputli Colony and Jailorwala Bagh, the construction is in progress and is expected to be completed within a few months. This came off as a means to provide healthy living conditions for slum dwellers.
With the rehabilitation of 376 slum clusters assigned to the Delhi Development Authority, residents have been involved in applying for their share of hygienic and sanitary living facilities.
The scheme’s implementation began with the Bhoomiheen slum clusters in the JJ colony of the Kalkaji extension in south Delhi. Once the relocation is complete, the Bhoomiheen campsite will be cleared off for the next phase of construction, which will be for the residents of the Navjeevan and Jawahar slum clusters. Many residents are eagerly looking forward to the transition. One such resident, Dharamvir, who is 65 years old, said to the media that he is delighted to leave his 3-bedroom home for his new apartment in a 14-story DDA highrise inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday.
see also – DDA Housing Scheme 2022: All you Need to Know
PM handed the keys to Dharamvir, and his family, who were among the 5 families to receive the honour. Dharamvir expressed his happiness by saying that it had been 4 decades since he and his family were residing in the Bhoomiheen slum cluster, and finally, this move came off as a huge gift for them. Furthermore, he added that there is a condescending and distrustful attitude toward people living in slums. With this transition, he hopes to feel more comfortable interacting with people. Currently, the family is involved in completing procedures such as applying for water and electricity connections. He finally said that it would take about a month for them to settle down in their new dwelling completely.
Regarding the housing complex, DDA has constructed a 14-story building, with each unit consisting of two rooms, a balcony, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet. The construction has been completed by incorporating ceramic tiles with low porosity for flooring and ceramic tiles for partial walls, a marble counter for the kitchen, and good air ventilation. The housing complex also includes a sewage treatment plant and water reservoir as amenities.
Although this was great news for many, a few felt violated as their names were included in the allotment of flats. This shocked them as 575 families were given possession letters on the project that is worth INR 345 crore. Everyone, including the left-out residents, is hopeful and excited as this is the NCR region’s first on-site rehabilitation of slum clusters. This is where the number of allottees outnumbered the number of flats available. They were raising concerns about the unavailability of housing units as tensions were rising among these residents amid completing the application procedure. They were even uneligible for a 1-BHK housing configuration. To this, the authorities have tried to calm the atmosphere by extending confidence regarding their allotments during the upcoming phase of construction. However, no timeline was specified.
