New Delhi, Jul 30 The Delhi High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the "inhabitable" condition of thousands of flats constructed here under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) after an expenditure of Rs 2000 crore incurred by the authorities.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that although JNNURM was a scheme to alleviate poverty, three out of seven projects entrusted to DUSIB in Dwarka required "special repair work".
Under JNNURM, which commenced in 2009-10 with financial assistance from the Centre and Delhi government, DUSIB and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd were entrusted to construct 52,344 EWS flats.
In a status report, DUSIB said its projects in Jahangirpuri and Sultanpuri were also still unoccupied, and the eleven projects entrusted to DSIIDC under the scheme were also "inhabitable".
The counsel for DUSIB explained that the flats could not be given out due to several reasons, which included the deterioration of their condition.
He said that certain houses could not be completed and people also did not want to shift to those locations.
"Rs 2,000 crore on the JNNURM scheme. Rs 2,000 crore drained out but you haven't given possession. We're only expressing our concern. JNNURM was a scheme for alleviation of poverty. Is this how you alleviate poverty?" the bench remarked.
Questioning why the authorities did not foresee that there would be no takers for the flats, the bench added, "Can you be permitted to waste Rs 2,000 crore of the taxpayers' money?"
"You people have spent Rs 2000 crore from the exchequer without a single occupant," it said.
For the project in Dwarka, the DUSIB counsel said a work tender has already been issued for carrying out the repairs.
"You constructed a house, and you say it is inhabitable and it requires special repairs. Another amount of 2,000 crore you need for repairs. What is going on?" the bench responded.
The court made the observations while dealing with appeals by certain residents of Bhai Ram Camp, DID Camp and Masjid Camp assailing a single judge's order, which refused to interfere with their eviction from the area that also houses the prime minister's official residence.
The appellants have objected to their proposed relocation to Savda Ghevra, citing lack of basic facilities like schools, electricity and sanitation there.
The DUSIB report said the Savda-Ghewra project has 3560 flats, out of which 1383 are vacant and 823 are ready for rehabilitation.
The court had earlier asked DUSIB to file a status report on the 24,284 houses stated to have been constructed pursuant to the scheme.
On May 11, the single judge refused to interfere with the eviction of residents of three slum clusters and asked them to vacate the camps within 15 days.
The Centre sought their eviction on the grounds that the jhuggi-jhopdi clusters were in a protected zone, immediately next to an operational Air Force Station, and the decision to remove unauthorised construction in the area was taken to strengthen and secure defence infrastructure and for other important public and security purposes.
It stated that in-situ rehabilitation was not possible in the present case owing to lack of any alternative accommodation in the vicinity, and the decision was taken to shift 717 dwellers in the three slums to Savda Ghevra instead.
