The Delhi Government on Sunday castigated the Railways for demolishing slum cluster in Shakur Basti area on Sturday night. A statement issued by the Government said the demolition of about 500 jhuggies in Shakur Basti was conducted without any rehabilitation plan for the JJ dwellers leaving them without shelter in cold weather.
“This is against the provisions of extant Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy of Government of NCT of Delhi,” it said, adding “The policy has been framed as per the provisions of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act, 2010; Special Provisions Act, 2011, Master Plan of Delhi 2021 and various landmark judgments of Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court.”
The statement also said the demolition was also against the decisions taken in the meetings chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 8, and September 22, in which Senior Railway officers were present.
“The CM has also taken up the matter regarding rehabilitation of JJ dwellers on Railways land with the Railway Minister”, it further stated.
The Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy envisaged that Jhuggies in Delhi will not be demolished without rehabilitation of eligible JJ dwellers as per the provisions of the policy. Whether the JJ dwellers are eligible for rehabilitation or not can be ascertained only after the joint survey and eligibility determination by DUSIB and land Owing Agency, which in this case is Railways.
However, no survey was conducted by the Railways before carrying out this demolition. Railways did not even inform DUSIB/GNCTD about the drive thereby causing a great hardship to the JJ dwellers as even the relief arrangement such as food and water could not made for the victims of this demolition, the statement further elaborated.