Delhi’s Kathputli Colony renovation nears completion; 700 flats to be allotted by December under DDA’s in-situ rehabilitation project for slum dwellers.

By the end of this year, the Delhi Development Authority’s Kathputli Colony project’s first phase should be finished. By December, LG VK Saxena wants to have 700 apartments available. Under the Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan (Where there is a slum, there will be a house) initiative, 2,800 apartments will be constructed to house slum inhabitants.

The first phase of the Kathputli Colony rehabilitation project, which has been delayed for the past seven years, is anticipated to be finished by the end of this year by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Around 700 apartments will be distributed to tenants by December, according to Lieutenant Governor and DDA Chairman VK Saxena, who also voiced his displeasure with the builder over the protracted delays.

Compared to later projects like the Kalkaji and Jailerwala Bagh projects, where apartments were distributed years ago, the project, which was started as the first under the “Jhuggi Jahan, Makaan” program, has made less progress.

Kathputli Colony, which was founded in the 1960s and 1970s, attracted folk artists, dancers, singers, magicians, and puppeteers, mostly from Rajasthan and later from other states. During the 1980 Festival of India in the UK, the community received recognition on a global scale. In 1985, there were plans to relocate the colony to places including Vasant Kunj, Mehrauli, and Dwarka, but the locals opposed the transfer.

Following the laying of the foundation stone by Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the in-situ rehabilitation project got underway in April 2018. The project was originally supposed to be finished by March 2019, however it was repeatedly delayed, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic. Manohar Lal Khattar, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Development, visited the location last month as well.

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The Kathputli Colony renovation, which was carried out in collaboration with Raheja Group, is the DDA’s first in-situ rehabilitation project. When the project was first proposed in 2008–09, local opposition caused it to stall. Many families were moved to transit camps in Anand Parvat and Narela between 2014 and 2017.

In response to residents’ persistent requests, the DDA has changed the project’s name to “Pragati Apartments.” Previously, apartments in Jailerwala Bagh were renamed Swabhiman Apartments, and apartments in Kalkaji were renamed Asha Kiran Apartments.

Important Details in a Flash

On 5.2 acres of land in Kathputli Colony, 2,800 apartments are being constructed.

-The approximate cost of building for each apartment is Rs 15 lakh.

-The residents’ allocation cost is Rs 1.42 lakh, which includes Rs 30,000 for repairs.

-Each 37 square meter apartment will have a kitchen, bathroom, balcony, hall, and bedroom.

-A school and two outdoor theaters will also be constructed.

-3.4 hectares of land have been set aside for rehabilitation.