Manoj Tiwari calls for joint meeting of stakeholders about SC order to remove slums along rail tracks

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has written to Union railways minister Piyush Goyal for a joint meeting of stakeholders including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for better planning and coordination for compliance of the Supreme Court order to remove 48,000 slum dwellings along railway tracks in the city.

Tiwari has also written a letter to the Delhi chief minister for the rehabilitation of the affected slum dwellers and arrangement of transit accommodation for them.

In his letter to the Railways minister, the north east Delhi BJP MP said in view of the urgency and time-bound action ordered by the Supreme Court, it is expedient that there is better communication and coordination in approach and action by all the stakeholders.

The Supreme Court in its order on August 31 had ordered the removal of around 48,000 slums along the nearly 140-km railway tracks in Delhi within three months.

Since there are various stakeholders involved in this process. It will take more time if all the stakeholders are to act independently €" which will exhaust the time limit of three months which has been specifically ordered by the Supreme Court, Tiwari wrote to Goyal.

"You are requested to kindly call a joint meeting with the chief minister and the Member of Parliaments (MPs) for better planning and coordination. It will help the stakeholders in complying with the Supreme Court order."

The former Delhi BJP president in his letter to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that it is the "responsibility" of the state government to ensure that the slum dwellers are shifted and given proper accommodation without any risk to their lives in the time of Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), 31,424 flats were constructed between 2007 and 2019 that are available with the Delhi government. Also, there are around 20,000 flats which are under various stages of construction, and likely to be completed by another 90 days, Tiwari said.

"The rehabilitation of the slum dwellers is to be done by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Therefore, I demand that those available flats €" which are in ready-to-move condition - be immediately handed over to the slum dwellers," Tiwari demanded in his letter to Kejriwal.

He said for those slum dwellers who can not be accommodated shortly in the flats, transit homes may be temporarily set up by the government.

The slum dwellers are eligible for rehabilitation as per the Delhi Slum and JJ (Rehabilitation and Relocation) Policy, 2015.

Delhi government's agency DUSIB in a letter to the Railways has said that as per the 2015 Policy, land-owning agency has the responsibility of rehabilitating affected slum dwellers.

The agency has also said the Railways will have to pay the cost of land, construction and relocation charges if DUSIB is entrusted the rehabilitation work.