New Delhi, 8 April

The Delhi government is preparing to allot 52,000 flats to slum dwellers in the city, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday as she inaugurated various development projects in the Shalimarbagh area.

The chief minister said 'acche din' (good days) for slum dwellers have come after many years, and the BJP government will provide proper streets, drains, toilets, bathrooms, and other facilities in their settlements.

People living in slum clusters for decades have been living in poor conditions with lack of basic facilities like roads, drains and toilets, she said while inaugurating development projects like drains and streets in Ayurvedic slum camp in her Shalimarbagh constituency.

'Parties, including the Congress and AAP, did nothing in the slums and only cared for the votes of the people living there. They used to scare people saying their slums will be demolished if the BJP comes to power,' she said.

'Nobody will touch your slum and we will provide facilities there. People lived in the slums in a pathetic situation and I have allocated funds of Rs 700 crore to provide facilities in slum clusters,' she said.

The chief minister also asserted 'zero tolerance' of her government towards drug trade in the city, especially in and around slums. She instructed police officers to take action against those indulging in drug trafficking in these areas of the city.

'We are preparing to allot the 52,000 flats that were constructed 10 years back and now lying in dilapidated condition, after renovation,' she told reporters.

The flats were constructed for slum dwellers and others belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS).

However, allotment of the flats was stuck up due to tussle between the previous AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-led Centre.

The chief minister said that all the slum clusters in the city will be provided with paved streets, drainage, toilets, and bathrooms. 'There will also be parks near the slums, provided land is available for it,' she said.

The chief minister also instructed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials to solve the problem of drinking water in the Ayurvedic slum camp and directed the DDA officials to remove garbage lying on an adjacent ground and develop it into a children's park.