New Delhi: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva on Sunday alleged that AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal had not taken any initiative in the last 10 years to improve the standard of living of people residing in Delhi slums.
He said that if the BJP formed its government in Delhi, it would ensure that every homeless person in Delhi was provided a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. “You (AAP) have been in office for over a decade. Please clarify whether your government, through DUSIB or any other department, has made any significant effort to rehabilitate slum dwellers,” he said .
Sachdeva also gave some assurances on behalf of the BJP to the poor of Delhi. “Slum dwellers who wish to remain in their current areas will be allowed to remain there,” he said. The ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan’ scheme will continue to benefit the slum residents, he added. Sachdeva promised that DUSIB and DDA would provide alternative houses or apartments to slum dwellers.
He was speaking to reporters while celebrating his birthday with residents of Nehru camp in Patparganj constituency during the BJP’s slum outreach campaign. He said, “If the BJP comes to power, we will make this Nehru camp a model slum for sanitation by January 2026.”
Addressing a press conference later at Nehru Camp, Sachdeva alleged that in 10 years, Kejriwal allowed 50,000 apartments, built under Rajiv Awas Yojana, in areas like Narela to turn into ruins, without allocating a single apartment to any inhabitant. of marginal neighborhoods. He said that despite being in office for more than 10 years, Kejriwal had done nothing to transform slums into model settlements or improve the living standards of residents. “The last ten years are witnesses that Arvind Kejriwal can only provoke people, but cannot improve their lives,” Sachdeva added.
“Kejriwal claims to provide free electricity to the poor, but some residents of Nehru camp in former deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s constituency, Patparganj, are hit with monthly electricity bills ranging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000. Additionally, they are forced to buy water drinkable,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that despite Kejriwal’s various claims, the income of poor families living in the slums of Delhi is entirely consumed by electricity bills and water charges,” he said. He said that all the poor knew that Prime Minister Modi had provided not just lakhs but millions of houses in towns and cities of the country, which is why all the slum dwellers today were looking towards the BJP.
BJP is leveraging its in-situ rehabilitation programs to challenge the AAP stronghold. Recently, Modi inaugurated 1,675 newly built apartments at Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar for JJ group residents and distributed keys to eligible recipients. It also announced plans for 3,000 more residential units.
There are around 700 slums in Delhi, where a significant portion of the city’s population lives. These settlements often lack basic services such as sanitation, and open drains expose residents to poor living conditions. People from poor economic backgrounds work in sectors such as construction, domestic work, and street vending.