The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) conducted demolition drives in northwest and north Delhi on Monday to remove encroachments from government land.

Ashok Vihar Operation:

• A Special Task Force team with excavators and around 250 police personnel razed over 200 structures in Jailorwala Bagh area
• This was the second clearance operation in the area this month; a previous drive occurred on June 2
• 250 households with Delhi High Court stay orders were excluded from demolition

Relocation and Rehabilitation:

• 1,078 eligible households from the Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) cluster had already been relocated to 1BHK flats at Swabhiman Apartments in Jailorwala Bagh
• The remaining 567 structures belonged to dwellers deemed ineligible under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) 2015 relocation policy
• Ineligibility criteria: commercial use of jhuggis, absence from electoral rolls between 2012-2015, lack of residence documentation prior to January 1 2015, occupancy of upper floors without separate ration card, minors
• Nine appeals were allowed; those households are being allotted flats through draw of lots

Project Details:

• In-situ rehabilitation project spans nearly 35,600 square metres, cost Rs 421 crore (excluding land)
• 1BHK flats with 31 sqm carpet area include living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, WC, and balcony
• Construction cost: Rs 25 lakh per unit; beneficiaries paid subsidised amount of Rs 1.41 lakh

Wazirpur Operation:

• Simultaneous demolition near a railway line to clear illegal settlements
• Two companies of paramilitary forces and Delhi Police deployed for security

A massive demolition drive targeted over 200 residences built on encroached government land in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. Significant police presence was deployed during the operation. A similar operation also occurred in Wazirpur during the same period.

Around 1,400 families from slum clusters in northwest Delhi's Jailorwala Bagh received keys to new flats under the Swabhiman Apartments in-situ slum rehabilitation project in Ashok Vihar on 3 January 2025.

This is the second successful in-situ rehabilitation initiative by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), following the Kalkaji project inaugurated two years ago.

Each flat measures 340 square feet and includes a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. The complex has a residential built-up area of nearly 67,000 square meters, plus 1,000 square meters for community facilities and parking for 337 vehicles.

Flats feature modern infrastructure including a sewage treatment plant and access to clean drinking water.

Costs: Each flat costs the government ₹25 lakh to build. Beneficiaries contribute ₹1.42 lakh plus ₹30,000 annually for five years of maintenance.

Allocation: 1,396 flats were handed over to residents from three JJ (Jhuggi Jhopdi) clusters: 1,078 from Jailorwala Bagh, plus flats from Golden Park Rampura and a slum near Mata Jai Kaur Public School. The allocation process began in March 2025.

PM Modi inaugurated 1,675 newly constructed flats for dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters at Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar under the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project and handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries.

For every Rs 25 lakh spent by the government on flat construction, eligible beneficiaries pay less than 7% of the total amount: Rs 1.42 lakh as nominal contribution and Rs 30,000 for five years of maintenance.

The project objective is to provide JJ cluster residents with better and healthier living environments equipped with proper amenities and facilities. Flats include lifts, parks for children, and other facilities.

PM Modi also virtually inaugurated two urban redevelopment projects: World Trade Centre at Nauroji Nagar and GPRA Type-II Quarters at Sarojini Nagar; CBSE's Integrated Office Complex at Dwarka; and laid foundation stone of Veer Savarkar College at Roshanpura, Najafgarh.