With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to hand over the keys of 3,024 flats constructed in Delhi’s Kalkaji for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) on Wednesday, BJP leaders believe giving people a respectable life by ensuring ‘pucca’ houses will benefit the party in the upcoming municipal polls.
Sources said for the past one year, PM Modi had been seeking updates on the construction of the flats in every Cabinet meeting. They said the work in Kathputli Colony, where these flats will replace ‘jhuggis ‘, is also on the fast track.
Senior BJP leaders believe that handing over the flats just ahead of polls may prove to be a game-changer. When asked if the move would dent the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s vote bank, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta replied: “Definitely”.
BJP sources said the prime minister’s vision to give ‘pucca’ flats to all will help the party as voters living in ‘jhuggis’ have been the traditional vote bank of AAP. “These are major ‘jhuggi’ settlements and the BJP has ensured that they live respectfully. Having a flat changes lives and is a dream come true. When we go asking for votes, they will remember what BJP stands for,” said a senior party leader.
The ‘jhuggi’ site in Kalkaji’s Bhoomiheen camp will now be vacated as eligible candidates get keys to their flats. The second phase of the rehabilitation will begin post-vacation of the site where the Navjeevan and Jawahar camps will be rehabilitated.
Ramesh Bidhuri, BJP’s South Delhi MP, explained: “The BJP had been working on giving ‘pucca’ houses to the poor for quite some time now. It was PM Modi’s idea to ensure that those living in ‘jhuggis’ be given flats in the same place. While previous governments relocated the poor population to the outskirts of the national capital, BJP gave a call to rehabilitate them in the same area. A person working in South Delhi will not go and live in Narela or Alipur if given a flat there.”
The new flats are built under the ‘In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation’ Project and keys for the same will be handed over during a programme in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan.
“DDA has undertaken three projects at Kalkaji Extension, Jailorwala Bagh, and Kathputli Colony. Under the Kalkaji Extension Project, in-situ Slum Rehabilitation of three slum clusters namely Bhoomiheen Camp, Navjeevan camp and Jawahar camp located at Kalkaji are being taken up in a phased manner. Phase I of the Project has been completed and 3024 flats are ready to move in. These flats have been constructed at a cost of about Rs. 345 crores and are equipped with all civic amenities including finishing having been done with vitrified floor tiles, ceramics tiles, Udaipur green marble counter in kitchen, etc.
“Public amenities like Community parks, Electric Sub-stations, Sewage Treatment plant, dual water pipelines, lifts, Underground reservoir for hygienic water supply, etc have also been provided. The allotment of flats will provide the people ownership title as well as a sense of security,” reads the statement issued by the government.
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