Delhi govt to renovate 50,000 EWS houses for slum residents

Delhi's CM Gupta inspects EWS flats for slum dwellers, announcing renovation of 50,000 units to provide safe housing and essential facilities.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and urban development minister Ashish Sood on Saturday inspected EWS (economically weaker sections) flats in Sultanpuri, north-west Delhi to review their maintenance, current condition, and potential for allotting them to slum dwellers. Gupta has announced that the government will renovate 50,000 old and dilapidated flats built for EWS over the past few decades and allot them to slum dwellers

A DUSIB block of flats in Sultanpuri that chief minister Rekha Gupta inspected on Saturday. (ANI)

The inspections were carried out a day after Gupta directed all government departments, the Indian Railways, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that no slum dwellings should be demolished in the city, and promised that all future removals, if unavoidable, would be accompanied by advance rehabilitation.

“Due to the indifference and malicious policies of previous governments, these flats, ready since 2011, remained deserted for years. Despite spending crores of rupees, they were not handed over to slum dwellers. Drawing inspiration from the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ our government is now renovating 50,000 such flats. Electricity, water, toilets, sewer, and parks will be provided here. Our goal is to ensure that the slum dwellers of Delhi receive a safe, clean, and dignified life,” Gupta said after the inspection.

The layout of these houses includes one living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and balcony. The approved cost was ₹52.81 crore, which later escalated to ₹67.84 crore. The per-unit cost, according to the approved amount, was ₹4.98 lakh, and according to the revised cost, is ₹6.40 lakh. The tender cost of the project was set at ₹51.72 crore, while the total expenditure reached ₹63.83 crore. The construction of the project was completed on March 31, 2016, delivering a total of 1,060 houses.

Gupta said a similar situation exists with another 50,000 flats built in Delhi’s outer areas, many of which have deteriorated so severely that substantial funds will be required to make them habitable. Treating this as a matter of the poor’s rights, the Delhi government is working with complete commitment to ensure every slum dweller has access to safe, dignified, and well-equipped housing. The central government has already sanctioned approximately ₹732 crore to repair thousands of these flats.

“Our government is committed to ensuring dignified housing and a better life for slum dwellers. The Delhi government is also preparing a comprehensive strategy to meet the demand for 1 million houses. These efforts are fully aligned with Modi’s resolve of providing housing for every poor person,” Gupta said.

During the inspection, Gupta directed officials who accompanied her to prioritise immediate repair of salvageable flats and reconstruct those beyond repair. “In the first phase we aim to operationalise 50,000 flats for resettlement while a comprehensive strategy is being finalised to address the projected need for 1 million houses in the future,” said Gupta.

Sood said that DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) flats in Sultanpuri had long stood as a symbol of neglect and political apathy. “Despite investing crores of rupees, 50,000 flats remained abandoned, while hundreds of thousands of people continued to live in inhumane conditions in slums. Our government has resolved to redevelop these flats and ensure the availability of all essential facilities — water, electricity, sewerage, bathing spaces, toilets, parks, and safety. The Delhi government is committed to ensuring that no slum-dweller is forced to live an insecure, undignified, or unhealthy life anymore,” said Sood.

An official said under the government’s slum relocation and rehabilitation policy, the in-situ rehabilitation requires that eligible slum dwellers be offered alternative housing on the same land or within a 5km radius of their existing settlements.

Commenting on the situation, the Congress said that the Prime Minister falsely promised the slum dwellers about providing flats. “Since coming to power the BJP government in Delhi has demolished several slums, leaving many people homeless. To understand the pain and suffering of those troubled by the BJP’s demolition drive, Rahul Gandhi reached out to the slum areas to understand their issues and raised them in Parliament. The BJP government, under continuous pressure from Delhi Congress’s intervention, has promised to halt the demolitions,” Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said.