10 months later, only 10% Khori oustees allotted flats

Tribune News Service

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, April 30

As many as 1,009 applicants (10%) have been issued flat allotment letters in lieu of the demolition of their houses in Khori village colony of the Surajkund area here in June last year.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS TO BE CONSIDERED

The civic body will entertain the applications of all eligible beneficiaries who fulfil the criteria by submitting the required documents. Senior MC official

A total of around 10,000 houses were demolished in the drive launched in wake of the Supreme Court order to free the forestland. The allotment comes in accordance with the rehabilitation policy announced by the state government after the demolition was carried out to recover over 150 acres of forestland belonging to the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MC).

Meanwhile, Bhupender Singh Dhillon, senior architect, MC, said: “Allotment of the EWS flats lying vacant at Dabua colony to Khori oustees has been started. As many as 1,009 applicants have been selected on basis of the criteria fixed for allotment.”

He said while 800 flats had already been made fit for occupation, the beneficiaries fulfilling the eligibility criteria, including the production of the documents as a voter in January 2021 or a Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) issued prior to January 2021 or the proof of having a power connection from the DHBVN prior to the demolition, would be covered.

“Eligible persons will be provided alternate housing as per the rehabilitation policy, though the total number of flats available with the MC is around 2,500 at present,” Dhillon added.

Describing the allotment as miniscule, Nirmal Gorana of the Majdoor Awas Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO working for the housing rights of labourers, said 90% of the affected families had been sidelined perhaps due to the faulty policy or criteria.

“Though over 5,000 applications have been formally filed, a majority of these have failed to get any response from the authorities,” claims Pritam Paswan and Sapna Devi, two of the applicants awaiting selection.

Gowda Prasad, a former resident of the colony, however, said: “The authorities have been forced to carry out repeated demolitions due to the recurrence of encroachments as many of the oustees are trying to return to the place in wake of no rehabilitation so far.”

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