Homeless families of Kathputli Colony to have new address in couple of months: DDA

Amid allegations of forceful eviction of Kathputli Colony residents, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has claimed to resettle the entire lot in newly constructed transit camps within the next couple of months. 

The Authority said that despite witnessing protests by a section, they have ensured shifting of more than one-third families and talks are on to ensure shifting of the remaining families too. “We have been in the process to ensure shifting of a majority of the families. To achieve the target, we have set up a camp where representatives from both DDA and the developer have been deputed to convince people as much as possible,” said Jai Prakash Agarwal, Principal Commissioner of DDA. 

“To start the project, we need the entire land vacant. As around 1,150 families have been shifted to the make-shift camp located in nearby Anand Parbat area, we hope to reclaim other parts and to start out levelling work there. If things go well, we will commence the construction work in Katputli Colony by March this year,” said the DDA Commissioner, adding that, the Authority is concerned about the people living there. 

“We make sure that deployment of adequate number of police personnel is made in order to maintain law and order situation there,” said Agarwal. Around 2,641 families were living in the colony. He added that in order to rehabilitate them, the land owning agency will construct as many as 2,800 flats with a private builder. 

“Keeping in view the artistic nature of Kathputli Colony and its people, the developer has assured us that they will create two theatres in the 40 percent of the area. As per the agreement, a total of 60 per cent FAR of these flats will remain with DDA while 40 per cent of the share will be of the builder,” added the Commissioner.

The Colony residents, however, are divided over the issue.  Some of the Colony residents vented their ire at the media and NGO workers for allegedly disrupting their development. 

“These NGO people live in good homes and make a lot of money and they don’t want us to move from here and that is their agenda. They don’t want us to develop and want us to stay where we are,” claimed a resident. 

They said evacuation is being taken without proper consent. “Earlier, they just came here and started sending out notices. None of the residents had time to go through the notice and then they came with a heavy police force. There are many who want to shift, but they would come on their own accord and should not be forced. Shockingly their move is still going on,” said Dileep Bhatt, a resident.