Next Story
Newszop

Tamil Nadu govt ready to assist 'Madrasi Camp' residents in Delhi if they choose to return

Send Push
CHENNAI: If residents of Delhi's 'Madrasi Camp', who are natives of Tamil Nadu (TN), choose to return to their home districts, necessary assistance shall be extended to them, the TN govt said on Sunday.

A demolition was carried out at Madrasi Camp in south Delhi's Jangpura on Sunday to remove illegal settlements. The action follows Delhi high court's directive to remove slums along the Barapullah drain. TN govt said all legal avenues available to them have now been exhausted.

"Comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood and other essential needs, will be extended to them. This assistance will be facilitated through the offices of the concerned district collectors to ensure timely and effective implementation," the state govt said, in an official release.

Numerous occupants of the unauthorised settlement, predominantly inhabited by people from Tamil Nadu, expressed their opposition to the clearance.

According to the govt, the Madrasi Camp comprises 370 slum dwellings and is predominantly inhabited by people of Tamil Nadu origin. Delhi high court had said the camp was an unauthorised encroachment on the bank of the Barapullah drain.

"This has led to obstruction and blockage of the drain, causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon season." Accordingly, the court directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the provisions of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act and the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015.

In compliance with the directions of the court, a survey was undertaken by the Eligibility Determination Committee to assess the eligibility of all residents for rehabilitation and relocation.

Govt authorities posted a list of qualified families on the settlement walls on April 12. Of the 370 families, around 190 met the eligibility criteria. These beneficiaries were allotted residential units under the Economically Weaker Section category of the DDA in Narela. The court set a timeline for residents to vacate the camp between May 20 and 31, with demolition scheduled to commence from June 1.

"As per the instructions of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has been tasked with actively facilitating and overseeing coordination efforts. Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the welfare of people of Tamil Nadu origin residing outside the state, the govt of Tamil Nadu is in active coordination with the residents of Madrasi Camp to ensure that every possible support is extended to them without delay," the govt said.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj pointed out that the demolition came immediately after the Delhi CM claimed during an event to celebrate 100 days of BJP in govt that not a single jhuggi would be touched. "Within 24 hours of CM Rekha Gupta's promise, bulldozers arrived at Barapullah's Madrasi Camp and flattened hundreds of homes," he said.

Loving Newspoint? Download the app now