5 lakh slum families in Delhi to get pucca houses

The dream of owning pucca houses now seems likely to be realised for approximately 5 lakh families residing in Delhi's slum clusters. This includes nearly 20 lakh people, who now have hope of securing permanent housing. The Delhi Government has notified a new policy for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers, under which provisions have been made to provide pucca houses to eligible families.

A new policy for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers has been notified by the Delhi Government. Under this policy, families residing in slum clusters established by January 1, 2025, who meet all the conditions prescribed by the government, are eligible to be provided pucca houses.

Strengthening the resolve of 'houses where the slums are', the government has taken a significant decision to prioritise the rehabilitation of people at the same location. According to this policy, slum dwellers will be provided housing within their current cluster or within a radius of 3 kilometres. House allotment will be made only if the family meets the prescribed eligibility and all other necessary conditions.

The Urban Development Department of Delhi has issued the notification for the 'Delhi Slum and Jhuggi-Jhopri Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy-2026'. The specialty of this new policy is that it does not focus solely on providing housing, but also considers the employment of people, children's education, and their social life.

Eligible families under this policy will be provided a house consisting of one bedroom, one hall, and a kitchen. The government has also clarified that families living in slums will not be removed from their locations until alternative housing is allotted to them. Additionally, families who were left out of the scope of various previous schemes may also get an opportunity to benefit under this new policy.

Special provisions have been made in the policy considering the family structure. If different families within a slum run their independent households and separately meet the eligibility and document-related conditions, consideration will be given to providing them with separate housing units. However, in the case of husband and wife, the house allotment will be made jointly.

There are also special provisions in this policy for eligible families with persons with disabilities. Based on the fulfillment of certificate-related conditions and the availability of houses, priority will be given to such families for houses on the ground floor.

Along with housing, other basic amenities will also be developed in these areas. This includes schools, Anganwadi centres, health facilities, and playgrounds for children. All these facilities will be arranged according to the planning regulations of the respective area.

To maintain complete transparency in the house allotment process, a computerized lottery system will be implemented. Along with this, provisions for grievance redressal and appeals have been made for those facing issues. A central GIS-based digital platform will also be developed to continuously monitor the beneficiaries and these projects.

From the date of house allotment, the government will maintain basic amenities, services, and security arrangements in these areas for the first five years. At the end of this five-year period, the role of the Beneficiary Association will be to handle the operation and management of the common facilities of the residential complex.

While the redevelopment of slum clusters is underway under the PPP model, affected families will be provided temporary housing or rented accommodation. To meet this requirement, financial assistance for rent may also be provided by the government.