Slum Rehabilitation policy pending with UD Min,gets Delhi govt

In a move that may trigger fresh confrontation between the AAP dispensation and Centre, Delhi government today approved 'Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy - 2015' even as a draft policy is pending with the Union Urban Development Ministry for its nod.
The decision was taken at a board meeting of DUSIB chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, four days after the controversial demolition of slums in Shakur Basti area which allegedly killed an infant and led to a tussle between the Delhi government and Centre.
According to the rehabilitation policy, JJ clusters which have come up before January 1, 2006, will not be removed without rehabilitation and the cut-off date for eligibility for alternative accommodation for JJ dwellers living in these clusters would be February 14, 2015.

"Around two and a half months ago, Delhi government had sent the draft of Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation
Policy to Centre for its approval. As the Centre has not given any response so far, Board of DUSIB chaired by CM, today approved the same," said a senior government official.
The official said that in November and December, Delhi government had relocated JJ dwellers in Nangloi area after their shanties were demolished in Paschim Vihar area, without the Centre's approval.

As per the policy, no new jhuggi will be allowed to come up after February 14, 2015, the day AAP formed government last year. DUSIB will plan and implement in-situ rehabilitation and re-development of JJ clusters wherever technically feasible and in other cases, DUSIB will resort to nearest possible relocation.

Government has also made a provision in the policy that no land agency, including DDA, will carry out demolition in slum clusters in Delhi without prior approval of DUSIB despite court's cases.
DUSIB hopes to complete the task of rehabilitating all JJ
clusters in Delhi in the next five years, if it receives cooperation from all land owning agencies.
The Delhi government will constitute an Appellate Authority, which will have four members including a retired judge of additional district court, for redressal of grievances related to determination of eligibility of allotment of alternate dwelling unit for JJ dwellers.
In case there is a JJ cluster on DDA and other land owing agencies, they may hand over the clusters on their lands to DUSIB on land sharing basis in the ratio of 40:60.

"After in-situ re-development and rehabilitation, 40 per cent land would be returned to the land owning agency for whatever projects they want to have in the land and JJ dwellers will be rehabilitated in the remaining 60 per cent by constructing multi-storey flats. In that case, Land Owing Agency will have to pay the cost of land," the official said.
According to the government, Delhi Master Plan 2021 envisages that for in-situ rehabilitation of JJ clusters, a maximum of 40 per cent land can be used as a resource and minimum of 60 per cent of land has to be used for in-situ redevelopment to rehabilitate JJ dwellers.

DUSIB will prepare a scheme of rehabilitation for any JJ cluster and use such portion of land which is required for rehabilitation of JJ dwellers depending upon density of the said cluster and pass on the remaining portion of land to the Land Owning Agency, which will have to bear the cost of rehabilitation.
"The contribution of the beneficiary will be Rs 1,12,000 per dwelling unit having the carpet area of 25 sq mtr. (The contribution may slightly vary on case to case basis depending upon the actual carpet area of the dwelling unit).
"In addition, the beneficiary will be required to pay an amount of Rs 30,000 at the time of allotment of the dwelling unit, towards the cost of maintenance for a period of 5 years," the official said.