Now, Chandigarh admn plans to raze Janata Colony before May 15
The Janata colony, spread over nearly 10 acres of government land and valued at ₹350 crore, is home to around 5,000 dwellers living in approximately 2,500 shanties, according to the UT estate office.
After Sanjay Colony, the UT estate office is all set to raze Chandigarh’s largest slum — Janata Colony in Sector 25 — in the second week of May, as part of its slum-free city initiative.
This comes days after the administration demolished 1,000 makeshift structures in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area Phase 1, on April 24 as these were encroaching upon nearly six acres of prime land, valued at around ₹250 crore.
The Janata colony, spread over nearly 10 acres of government land and valued at ₹350 crore, is home to around 5,000 dwellers living in approximately 2,500 shanties, according to the UT estate office.
Deputy commissioner-cum-UT estate officer Nishant Kumar Yadav said, “We are fully prepared to carry out the demolition drive before May 15.”
Despite the scale of displacement, officials said, none of the dwellers qualify for rehabilitation under the Centre’s affordable rental housing scheme. “Residents have already been informed that the land belongs to the government and all structures erected on it are illegal,” Yadav said.
Action after 3-yr legal battle
The plan to raze Janata Colony was devised in mid-2022, but after pleas from residents, the Punjab and Haryana high court had put a stay on demolition. Most of the colony’s inhabitants are labourers, hawkers, industrial workers, daily wagers, sweepers, domestic workers, and porters who have been staying here for the past 15–25 years. On April 22, the high court dismissed the plea of the colony residents, clearing the final legal hurdle for demolition.
Challenges aplenty
The UT had first introduced its comprehensive plan to make the city slum-free in 2006. As part of the plan, it planned to replace slums with alternative housing. The ambitious plan involved earmarking 356 acres — nearly 20% of Chandigarh’s 2,811 acres of net vacant land — for constructing rehabilitation flats. “Under the Chandigarh Small Flats Scheme, 2006, a total of 25,728 flats were planned for the rehabilitation of 23,841 families residing across 18 illegal colonies in the city,” said a UT official, requesting anonymity.
At the time, the estimated project cost was ₹1,187 crore, with each flat costing around ₹4.7 lakh. In return, relocated families were required to pay a nominal monthly rent. However, delayed or non-payment of rent has led to massive dues piling up over the years.
Back in 2013, the administration demolished Colony Number 5, and in 2022, Colony Number 4 was similarly cleared. Together, these colonies had encroached over 165 acres of government land. These had come up during the 1980s following earlier demolitions and establishment of rehabilitation colonies. But past experience shows that removing slums from one area often leads to the emergence of new clusters elsewhere.