The residents of the colony have, since the announcement of the project, opposed it on the rationale that they are not used to living in high-rise buildings and their livelihood will be decimated if they are moved from here.
The residents also complained that the authority have duped them by selling the land to private developers for a paltry sum of Rs 6.11 crore, while the land is valued at over Rs 1,000 crores.
The residents have demanded individual plots instead of ‘small flats’. ‘We are artists, we need to practice. We can’t keep our instruments or practice in a small one room flat’, said Dilip Bhatt, resident of the colony.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has stated that it is difficult to provide individual plots to slum dwellers due to a lack of space. It also added that special training will be given to dwellers as to how to use various facilities in a high-rise building. The DDA has also offered to maintain the flats till the time the Residents Welfare Association in the society is formed. The Delhi High Court has also declined to stay the shifting process during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the residents of the colony. However, the case is still pending and residents hope that a stay order on the construction will be place in the next hearing.
‘The case is still pending in the High Court. How can the DDA go ahead with the shifting process?’ Bhatt asked.
According to DDA officials, more than 50 families have registered, for shifting into temporary camps in the area. However, the protesters claim that the families were lured by the authority and are not willing to go ahead with the transition.
Nimo Dhar, public relation advisor of DDA said, ‘majority of the people want to shift to the temporary camp so as to get a flat. They have been threatened by few people with vested interest.’
Meanwhile, the deadlock seems to be headed nowhere as confusion persists between the two parties. While residents are not willing to budge from their stand to move to a transit camp, the DDA has consistently maintained that it would not force the residents to shift, putting the DDA’s ambitious project in jeopardy.
‘We will not force the residents to shift. Currently, we are going to carry on with the registration process as planned and act according to the situation in future,’ Dhar added.
The residents also complained that the authority have duped them by selling the land to private developers for a paltry sum of Rs 6.11 crore, while the land is valued at over Rs 1,000 crores.
The residents have demanded individual plots instead of ‘small flats’. ‘We are artists, we need to practice. We can’t keep our instruments or practice in a small one room flat’, said Dilip Bhatt, resident of the colony.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has stated that it is difficult to provide individual plots to slum dwellers due to a lack of space. It also added that special training will be given to dwellers as to how to use various facilities in a high-rise building. The DDA has also offered to maintain the flats till the time the Residents Welfare Association in the society is formed. The Delhi High Court has also declined to stay the shifting process during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the residents of the colony. However, the case is still pending and residents hope that a stay order on the construction will be place in the next hearing.
‘The case is still pending in the High Court. How can the DDA go ahead with the shifting process?’ Bhatt asked.
According to DDA officials, more than 50 families have registered, for shifting into temporary camps in the area. However, the protesters claim that the families were lured by the authority and are not willing to go ahead with the transition.
Nimo Dhar, public relation advisor of DDA said, ‘majority of the people want to shift to the temporary camp so as to get a flat. They have been threatened by few people with vested interest.’
Meanwhile, the deadlock seems to be headed nowhere as confusion persists between the two parties. While residents are not willing to budge from their stand to move to a transit camp, the DDA has consistently maintained that it would not force the residents to shift, putting the DDA’s ambitious project in jeopardy.
‘We will not force the residents to shift. Currently, we are going to carry on with the registration process as planned and act according to the situation in future,’ Dhar added.