LG approves redevelopment of slum areas under 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan' Scheme

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday approved the redevelopment of slum areas under the "Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan" Scheme, an official statement said.
     The modification in policy will allow projects to be more viable and more players could come forward for in-situ slum projects and thereby more houses could be built, officials said.
     The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections due in Delhi early next year.
     The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in its meeting chaired by Saxena, who is also the chairman of the department, approved major changes in slum and JJ policy to make in-situ rehabilitation, as envisioned by the prime minister under Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan Scheme, more viable and implementable, an official statement said.
     The modifications in terms of density relaxation, revised apportionment of land area for remunerative and non-remunerative components, floor area ratio (FAR), clubbing of clusters for redevelopment spread across a radius of five kilometres etc. were approved in the authority meeting, the statement said.
     This, apart from providing the right to dignified housing to the slum dwellers of the city, will also create affordable housing stock as well as commercial space for Delhi residents, it read.
     As per the modifications, an increased FAR of 500 has been allowed for the residential and remunerative components in the in-situ rehabilitation projects on plots measuring 2,000 square metres and above. This is a significant increase from 300 FAR to 500 FAR for the commercial component. For the rehab component, FAR has been increased from 400 to 500, it said.
    Under the new modifications, at least 40 per cent of the total plot area will be utilised for residential purposes while the remaining area could be utilised for remunerative or commercial purposes. Further, any unutilised FAR in the rehabilitation component will also be allowed to be availed by the developers in the remunerative or commercial plot area, the statement said.
     This decision will ensure more number of dwelling units for the slum dwellers as well as more commercial space to make the project financially viable for the developers. This will also ensure that 100 per cent of the beneficiaries (slum dwellers) will be accommodated in-situ, it said.
     In terms of allowing clubbing of plots over an area spread over five kilometres, the developer will be able to redevelop a particular site only for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in modern multi-storey complexes. The other site could be utilised exclusively for the development of residential or commercial complexes for remunerative use by the developer, it said.
     This initiative will provide eligible residents of informal JJ clusters with modern housing, along with essential public amenities. This comes as a major step towards social empowerment, as the programme offers ownership titles to residents, giving them a sense of security and stability, it stated.
     By upgrading housing and infrastructure, the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation (ISR) programme supports the integration of slum dwellers into the formal urban fabric, contributing to social mobility and improving the overall quality of life for the urban poor.
     The approved proposal will now be sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India for issuance of final notification, it added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)