New Delhi, Nov 2 (Mayank Nigam) The poor remain central to policy formation and decision-making systems of the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday while inaugurating 3024 newly constructed EWS flats at Kalkaji built for rehabilitating slum dwellers under the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project. The Prime Minister handed over keys of flats to eligible beneficiaries at Bhoomiheen Camp in a program at Vigyan Bhawan here. “Our government belongs to poor people. Poor remain central to policy formation and decision-making systems… When there is this security in life, the poor work hard to lift themselves out of poverty… We live to bring change in your lives,” the Prime Minister said. He said that the government is working for the upliftment of all sections of the society and treating the issues of the urban poor with equal importance.
“These poor people have been made to live in deplorable conditions. When there is such an imbalance in one single city, who can we think of holistic development ? In the Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, we have to fill this huge gap. That is why, the country is moving on the path of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas for everyone’s upliftment,” he added. The Prime Minister said that the aim of the central government is to turn Delhi into a grand city complete with all amenities in accordance with its status as the capital of the country. Delhi’s poor and middle class are both aspirational and talented, he added. “Work is going on to regularise the houses built in unauthorised colonies of Delhi through the PM-UDAY scheme,” the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister pointed out that for decades, the system of governance in the country was plagued with the mentality that poverty is a poor people’s issue but the government of today belongs to the poor and it is not in its nature to leave them be. In line with the vision of the Prime Minister to provide housing for all, in-situ slum rehabilitation in 376 Jhuggi Jhopri clusters is being undertaken by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the PMO said.
The objective of the rehabilitation project is to provide a better and healthy living environment to the residents of Jhuggi Jhopri clusters, with proper amenities and facilities, the PMO added. The DDA has undertaken three such projects at Kalkaji Extension, Jailorwala Bagh and Kathputli Colony. Under the Kalkaji Extension Project, in-situ Slum Rehabilitation of three slum clusters namely Bhoomiheen Camp, Navjeevan camp and Jawahar camp located at Kalkaji are being taken up in a phased manner. Under Phase I, 3024 EWS flats at the nearby vacant commercial centre site have been constructed. The Jhuggi Jhopri site at Bhoomiheen Camp will be vacated by rehabilitating eligible households of Bhoomiheen camp to the newly constructed EWS flats. Post vacation of Bhoomiheen Camp site, in Phase II, this vacated site will be utilised for rehabilitation of Navjeevan Camp and Jawahar Camp. Phase I of the Project has been completed and 3024 flats are ready to move in. These flats have been constructed at a cost of about Rs 345 crores and are equipped with all civic amenities including finishing having been done with vitrified floor tiles, ceramics tiles, Udaipur green marble counter in kitchen etc. Public amenities like Community parks, Electric Sub-stations, Sewage Treatment plant, dual water pipelines, lifts, Underground reservoir for hygienic water supply etc have also been provided.