Centre asks DDA to push Kathputli colony redevelopment

The Centre has asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to expedite verification of rejected claims of house under the redevelopment of Kathputli Colony here as "some residents created trouble" in the evacuation process on Monday.

DDA Principal Commissioner (Housing) J.P. Agarwal said that his teams went to the colony to pursue the residents to move out, who were staying there even after the request made to them to vacate the area on October 25.

"Some vested interests have tried to create trouble and resorted to stone pelting," he said in a statement.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri thereafter discussed the matter with DDA and gave the instruction of expediting the verification process of claims.

Kathputli Colony is a colony of street performers in Shadipur Depot area of Delhi.

"Under the Kathputli Colony redevelopment, taken up in 2009, 2,800 EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) houses are to be built for the identified eligible residents", said Agrawal.

"To enable this redevelopment, the private developer has built transit accommodation for them at Anand Parbat. During the last three years, further to the efforts of DDA, 1,355 families have shifted to transit accommodation," he added.

"Till the time of the last report, about 200 families have volunteered to move out of Kathputli Colony and DDA has made necessary transport arrangements for them."

--IANS

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