Delhi: 14 years on, Kathputli dream closer to reality for some

Feb 23,2022

Fourteen years after Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) first in situ slum redevelopment project at Kathputli Colony was announced, the first batch of residents are finally going to receive their promised one bedroom flats in multi-storey apartments next month.

A DDA official said out of 2,800 one-bedroom flats to be allotted to slum dwellers, 500 would be handed over by March 31 in apartment blocks that were complete. The remaining 2,300 flats would be allotted by the end of 2022.

The authority will also soon hand over flats to slum dwellers of Bhoomiheen Camp at A-14, Kalkaji Extension. While Kathputli Colony is a public-private partnership (PPP) project, the in situ slum rehabilitation project at Kalkaji has been carried out by DDA itself.

While rehabilitation of slum clusters at Bhoomiheen Camp, Navjeevan Camp and Jawaharlal Nehru Camp were taken up by DDA, a scheme under PPP mode had been prepared
for the remaining ones in the area for which tenders would be floated shortly.

On Tuesday, DDA said it had conducted a draw of lots to allot 679 flats under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to eligible slum dwellers of Bhoomiheen Camp. Out of 2,700 households of the camp, eligibility of 679 households was decided on the basis of completed documents. The draw of lots was conducted on February 17 and the allotment-cum-demand letters would be issued to the successful households shortly.

For the remaining households of Bhoomiheen Camp, “deficiency letters” have been issued to the slum dwellers and they have been requested to submit the necessary documents. DDA said as and when the documents were submitted, a draw of lots would be conducted.

In both Kathputli Colony and Bhoomiheen Camp, eligible slum dwellers would be moved to the flats on payment of Rs 1,42,000, which includes Rs 30,000 as maintenance charges for five years.

The first tender inquiry for Kathputli Colony redevelopment project was floated in 2008 and work was awarded to a private developer in August 2009. As a part of the project, 2,800 flats in 14-storey towers would be given to squatters living in the colony for nearly 40 years. In lieu of constructing the EWS houses, the developer would be entitled to build and dispose of some freehold HIG flats and commercial built up area equivalent to 10% of EWS floor area ratio on leasehold basis.

The project has been beset with setbacks and massive delays at every step, starting from surveying the eligible population, relocation of slum dwellers to a transit camp at Anand Parbat and, finally, during construction.

The foundation stone of the project was laid by Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 24, 2018. It was announced that the first batch of slum dwellers were expected to be provided flats by March 2019. While the March deadline was missed, DDA hoped to open some towers by December 2019. However, even that
deadline was missed with the project facing one roadblock after another. Though work got affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the project has now finally taken shape.

Apart from housing for slum dwellers, the complex would also have an exhibition museum to showcase the craft of Kathputli Colony residents who are primarily artisans,
including puppeteers, magicians, singers, etc.