No demolition threat to slums in Delhi: CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi: Countering rumours of impending demolition of many slums in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party and Congress governments for treating residents of these colonies as vote banks and depriving them of basic amenities.

Speaking after inaugurating a toilet block in a slum in Haiderpur, CM Gupta assured that no slum will be demolished without first providing permanent housing to its residents.

She said that FIRs will be filed and strict action will be taken against those spreading false information about demolitions.

She clarified that most anti-encroachment actions are being carried out in compliance with court orders and are targeting illegal occupations that are obstructing traffic or hindering public movement.

Talking about slum demolition near Jangpura, she said the action was ordered by the Delhi High Court.

“Wherever there are orders of the Court, neither the government nor the administration can do anything. Today, the reality of Madrasi Colony is that it is settled on the banks of the Barapullah drain, and the Court has repeated almost four times that these jhuggis (informal settlements) must be removed so that machines can reach there and cleaning can be done. Otherwise, there are chances of floods in Delhi like in 2023…” she added.

The Chief Minister said the previous Arvind Kejriwal government and Sheila Dikshit government did not do any development for residents of slum clusters in Delhi.

“The BJP government in Delhi is spending Rs 700 crore on various projects,” she added.

The Chief Minister emphasised that every slum resident deserves to live with dignity.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that they enjoy the same facilities as other citizens of the city,” she said.

The government’s goal is not just redevelopment but also improvement in the standard of living of slum dwellers, she added.

On Sunday, she also inaugurated and inspected various development projects in Nehru Camp in Haiderpur, Ekta Camp in Pitampura, and the area near U and V Blocks of JJ Cluster in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency.

The Chief Minister also reviewed key works such as laying of pipelines and construction of new roads in these areas.

She also announced that a clean and safe parks with swings will be developed especially for the children of slum areas in the city.

CM Gupta reiterated her government’s commitment to ensuring that every resident of Delhi’s slums has access to basic amenities such as clean water, proper roads, public toilets, and parks, so that no citizen is left behind in the journey of development.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the construction work of a 24-seater Jan Suvidha Kendra (public convenience centre) at JJ Cluster, Outer Ring Road, No. 26, Nehru Camp in Haiderpur.

She said that this Jan Suvidha Kendra will address the long-standing issue of toilet shortage in the area and will particularly benefit women, senior citizens, and children by providing clean and safe facilities.

IANS