Delhi govt mulls RWA like bodies for city’s slums

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government will investigate the demands and suggestions on forming Basti Vikas Samitis for the city’s slums

Deputy chief minister Manish Siodia on Saturday said that the Delhi government will investigate the demands and suggestions on forming Basti Vikas Samitis for community centred initiatives in the city’s slums.

The Delhi government’s slum management agency, the Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), organised a ‘national consultation on community led management of bastis in Delhi’ on Saturday. (FIle)

He was speaking at a ‘national consultation on community led management of bastis in Delhi’, orgnaised by the city government’s slum management agency, the Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

Emphasising that improving the situation in slums is a prime objective of the Arvind Kejriwal led government, Sisodia said, “The Delhi government will investigate the demands raised by the community, and suggestions by the experts on forming the Basti Vikas Samitis.”

“The community centred initiatives have always brought about change and development,” he added.

The consultation, held at the India International Centre, was organised as a first step for initiating a discussion for slums level committee formation to aid the upliftment of slums in the national capital. It included a wide range of participants, like Mohalla Sabhas of Madhya Pradesh, Slum Dwellers Association who are recognised as partners in Odisha, and Slum Networking Program of Ahmedabad. They all shared their experiences in making life better for the slum dwellers.

“We are planning to involve the slum dwellers in the policies which are formed for their development. In an innovative participatory process, the slum dwellers will now contribute and be consulted for the development and maintenance of the community,” said DUSIB chief executive officer K Mahesh.

Delhi has nearly over 675 listed slums spread across the Capital which house around 21 lakh people, which is 21% of the city’s population. The slums are located on pieces of lands owned by 25 land owning agencies of the central and the Delhi government.

Mahesh said that Section 13 of the DUSIB ACT provides for formation of Basti Vikas Samiti (RWA like bodies in slums). “This provision captures the spirit of partnership with jhuggi dwellers and officials in providing basic facilities and explore the provisions of livelihoods in 675 listed jhuggi bastis belonging to 25 land owning agencies belonging to state and central government bodies,” he added.

Amar Patnaik, member of Parliament (MP) from Odisha and Ayodhya Rami Reddy, MP from Andhra Pradesh also joined the consultation.

“All the points raised by experts and community members for basti vikas samitis will be further fine-tuned and help pave the way for an improved policy for community led management of slums,” said Mahesh.