NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid out his vision of Delhi as an ideal city where the poor, who build the city, get due space in planning and access to the best facilities. While handing over the keys of newly constructed flats to slum dwellers in Kalkaji in South Delhi, he said there is need to bridge the gap between “posh colonies” and the ones inhabited by the poor and lacking in basic civic amenities.
Flagging how the cities have been deprived of balanced and holistic development in the past decades, the PM said, “The development that you see in big cities like Delhi and where big dreams are realised, the foundation of such developments and dreams is made up of the hard work and sweat of the poor. But, unfortunately, these poor have been made to live in deplorable conditions. When there is such an imbalance in one single city, who can think of holistic development?”
The PM said the handing over of keys for "pucca" houses marks the beginning of a new life for thousands of families. “The aim of the central government is to turn Delhi into a grand city complete with all amenities in accordance with its status as the capital of the country,” he said.
Modi said for decades, the system of governance was plagued with the mentality that poverty is a poor people’s issue but his government belongs to the poor (garibon ki sarkar) and it is not in its nature to leave them. He said the poor remain central to policy-making under his government.
Referring to the government’s flagship initiative of Jan Dhan to take formal banking to everyone, the PM said there were 50 lakh people in Delhi who did not have a bank account and were deprived of any benefit of the banking system. “Ye log Dilli mein the, lekin Dilli inke liye bahut door tha (They were in Delhi but Delhi was very far from them),” he said adding that the scheme has led to people getting the direct benefit of government schemes.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has built 3,024 flats in multistorey buildings near Kalkaji and 575 keys were handed over to the beneficiaries who have completed all formalities. The beneficiaries have paid Rs 1.42 lakh, including Rs 30,000 for maintenance for five years, while the actual cost of each unit is Rs 11.41 lakh.
The complex is equipped with all civic amenities. The allotment of flats will provide ownership title. The oldest woman in each family will be the owner or co-owner of flats.
Modi asked the beneficiaries to use LED bulbs to save electricity, avoid wastage and keep the entire colony clean. “We must ensure that such complexes don’t become like slums. Now it’s our responsibility to demolish the notion around slums, which have been built over years by linking these to filth,” he added.
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