Maken releases draft of right to housing Bill

January 29, 2015 09:20 am | Updated 09:20 am IST

A day after it was added to the party’s checklist of promises to the people of poll-bound Delhi, the Congress on Wednesday meticulously detailed its ambition to provide a ‘roof over every head’ at a press conference here.

The face of the party’s campaign and candidate from Sadar Bazar constituency, Ajay Maken, released the draft of the NCT of Delhi Right to Housing, Shelter and Property (Rights) to Slum Dwellers Bill, 2015, as the second instalment of its manifesto that was released last week.

“If we are voted to power, we will make this dream a reality within a year by ensuring that this Bill gets legislated in the Assembly,” Mr. Maken said with Delhi unit president Arvinder Singh and the party’s Delhi in-charge, PC Chacko.

Every housing unit under the said proposal would have a carpet area of more than 25 square metres up to 40 square metres and it would provide legal freehold rights to ensure housing, shelter and property rights to all Delhi citizens currently staying in slums which, according to conservative government estimates, amounts to one-fourth of its entire population of 1.2 crore.

The bill also provides for in-situ development of all Delhi slums, resettlement of slum residents preferably at the same site or at a site within five kilometres as well as the creation of a special fund called the ‘Slum Redevelopment Fund’ with budget allocations from local bodies, the Delhi government, and the Central government.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had hinted at the Bill at the conclusion of his road show at the crossroads of three bustling slum clusters in Kalkaji constituency - the Nav Jeevan, Bhoomiheen, and Jawaharlal Nehru Camps on Tuesday.

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