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Slum dwellers demand basic amenities, say pucca houses can wait
New Delhi: While both BJP and AAP have promised providing “in-situ pucca houses” to slum-dwellers in Delhi, the residents of JJ colonies said they have been “disappointed
New Delhi: While both BJP and AAP have promised providing “in-situ pucca houses” to slum-dwellers in Delhi, the residents of JJ colonies said they have been “disappointed many times” and have now learned to take election-time promises with a “pinch of salt”.
“I have grown up in the JJ cluster next to Shamshan Ghat, Pushta in Geeta Colony. We have had so many politicians coming to us during polls asking for votes. They promised us pucca houses but nothing has happened,” said Inderjeet Poddar, who hailed from Begusarai in Bihar.
“More recently, we were told that a high-tension electricity tower here will have to be removed first and that a monorail will come up here,” he said.
Many said they had seen some efforts in getting slum-dwellers pucca houses during Sheila Dikshit’s time, but nothing after that. “She had given us some hope. But after that it’s been just empty promises. After the polls are over, the MLA doesn’t even show his face here,” Suraj Kumar, from Burari, said.
Seema Kumari, a resident of Shiv Vihar from the Karawal Nagar constituency said that even if they don’t get pucca houses, they would be happy if the pressing issues of electricity and water are addressed.
“Permanent housing is a long term promise and we are not casting our votes on this. We want the candidates to fix our basic demands of electricity, water and affordable health care,” Kumari said.
As per the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Bopard (DUSIB), around 1.7 million people in Delhi reside in slums and jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) colonies, which is over 10% of the city’s population.
Keeping this in mind, the BJP government at the Centre had announced ‘jahan jhuggi wahi makaan’ scheme in January this year. Before that, CM Arvind Kejriwal came up with the ‘Mukhyamantri Aawas Yojana’ in December 2019.
