Extra cost for corner plots: slum rehabilitation

[karira]

To get a corner plot of land in a particular locality in and around the Capital in the open market, one has to pay an extra premium. But does it also apply to the poor people who are rehabilitated by any government agency after demolition of their slums?

The Delhi Development Authority does not seem to be clear on the issue, though it has not stopped the Authority from charging extra for corner plots from those who have been provided with alternative plots.In March and April this year, two slum clusters -- Indira Camp No. 1 and Ravi Dass Camp -- at Vikaspuri in West Delhi were demolished by the DDA. At least 367 people from these two slums were given alternative plots at Bawana in North-West Delhi.

Cost distribution rules

Under the cost-distribution rules as fixed by the Union Urban Development Ministry, the beneficiaries of the plots were to pay Rs.5,000 irrespective of whether they got a plot of 18 square metres or 12.5 square metres.
The rest of the price was to be borne by the Delhi Government and the land owning agency.

“The Union Urban Development Ministry had clarified this in reply to an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act,” said K. V. Krishnan of the Delhi Shramik Sangathan.

This year, when the residents of these two camps complained about them being charged extra amount for corner plots, Mr. Krishnan filed another application under the RTI Act asking the office of West Zone’s Deputy Director (Land Management), DDA, how many people have been charged extra and under what policy.

The reply, which came after the mandatory one-month period, mentioned clearly that in all 27 people have been charged extra.

Of these, 14 people, who got the 18 square metres corner plots, had to pay Rs. 13,000 extra (nearly three times of what they would have paid for a normal plot) and 13 people getting 12.5 square metres plot coughed up Rs.9,000.

Incidentally, of the 27 allottees, only four were men.


The Hindu : New Delhi News : Extra cost for corner plots: slum rehabilitation