NEW DELHI: It was a merry day for over 570 slum dweller families in the national capital as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 3,024 newly constructed Economic Weaker Section (EWS) flats at Kalkaji for rehabilitating slum dwellers under the ‘In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project’. He also handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Bhoomiheen Camp in a programme at Vigyan Bhawan.
Of the 3,024 1BHK flats, 1,862 have been allotted and 575 beneficiaries among them, who had deposited the nominal amount for the flats and completed the documentation, were given possession.
However, many were unhappy even after getting possession whereas some were not able to fulfil the eligibility criteria for getting a house.
“I have a family of nine people consisting of two sons, two daughters-in-law and their three children. How is everyone going to fit in such a small flat,” said Kartik Haldar, an employed man, who was allotted one dwelling unit. The 69-year-old man said that he constructed a 4-storey house at the Bhoomiheen camp in Kalkaji where he was residing along with his family. “When the DDA conducted a survey in 2019, we were told that we will need three IDs for verification i.e. an Aadhaar card, Voter Card and a Pan Card but later we were told that a Ration Card is required as well,” he said.
“I was hoping that I may get three dwelling units but last year when the allotment list came, my name was there for only one,” he added. According to the eligibility criteria, only those who have a ration card older than 2015 were eligible for a flat. A woman named Malti Das having a family of five whose sole breadwinner is her driver husband was not even allotted a single flat as she did not have a ration card older than 2015. Meanwhile, when the authorities were contacted, they said that all the issues will be soon redressed.