Amidst protests, the number of people registering for shifting into Anand Parbat from Kathputli Colony witnessed a steady rise on the second day, claimed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). While around 12 families have already shifted to the transit camps in Anand Parbat, the authority is expecting the whole process to be over by Sunday.
According to officials, till Wednesday, the authority received around 100 voluntary registrations. “The scenario is turning positive by the day. We are hopeful that by the weekend, almost everyone will give their consent. The coming three days will be a holiday because of which everyone will be in the colony and get time to take their slips,” said a DDA officials. Although protests continued with people holding placards denouncing the authority and the private builder, registration process moved on peacefully.
The officials who are accompanied by the police to keep a strict vigil on a possible confrontation began their registration camp at 9 am and continued till 11 pm. “We are stretching out the time so that people can walk in whenever they feel like. People are slowly getting motivated after seeing those who have already shifted to the transit camps,” added the official.
However, while the DDA might be positive about being able to transfer over 2,800 families to Anand Parbat, scores of inhabitants of this slum in West Delhi have no plans to vacate their jhuggis. The protesters, on Wednesday, got a shot in their arms when their agitation found support from the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP MlAs from Madipur and Shakur Basti, Girish Soni and Satyendra Jain respectively visited the protesters in the colony. Jain, who is an architect, questioned the intentions of the DDA. “The entire land is for 13 acres and they sold it to Raheja Developers for just `6.11 crore. Why did the authority give it away in such meager amount when the market price of the land is of `2,043 crore,” said Jain at the protest.
“The reason why people don’t want to shift is because the DDA is providing very less space to the families. The areas of the houses being provided are also not uniform. While some are of 30.5 square metres others are just of 19.2 square metres,” said Girish Soni.
Meanwhile, inhabitants criticised the housing agency of alleging them of encroaching the place. “The slips that are being issued to us say read that we have illegally occupied the area. What future do we have then, if they are putting such allegations on usIJ” said Dilip Dutt, a resident in the colony.