Delhi notifies slum rehabilitation policy for 4 lakh families

NEW DELHI The Delhi government has notified its Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Relocation and Rehabilitation Policy, 2026, paving the way for nearly four to five lakh families to receive permanent homes. The initiative is expected to benefit around 20 lakh people living in Delhi's slums. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the policy was designed not simply to clear slums but to ensure families could live safely and with dignity. “Our objective is not just to remove slums, but to give every eligible family a permanent home where they can live safely and with dignity with their children,” she said. Settlements established before January 1, 2025, will be covered, including previously excluded families. No eligible family will be evicted without alternative accommodation. The government aims to provide homes at the same location or within a three-kilometre radius, to limit disruption. Each eligible household will receive a one-bedroom, hall and kitchen flat. Colonies will also have schools, Anganwadi centres, healthcare facilities and playgrounds. Separate families living independently on different floors of one jhuggi structure may qualify for separate flats if eligible. Persons with disabilities will receive priority for ground-floor homes, while married couples will receive joint allotments. The government or developer will maintain facilities for five years before beneficiary associations take over. Allotments will be made through a computerised lottery, with a grievance system and GIS-based platform to prevent duplicate claims. For public-private partnership redevelopment, developers must arrange temporary accommodation or rental assistance during construction. Gupta said Delhi’s working poor had helped build the city and deserved secure housing. She said the policy followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Antyodaya and Garib Kalyan vision, adding that no eligible poor family in Delhi should remain homeless.