Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 13

A city-based NGO has demanded that the state government should make sure that all slum dwellers in the city are rehabilitated. There are many slum areas along roads and on green belts in different parts of the city.

Earlier, the civic body had shifted slum dwellers from several areas to flats at Giaspura and Mundian under the Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme. But, slum dwellers from some areas were not shifted to these flats.

Kuldeep Singh Khaira of Vigilant Citizens’ Forum said, “The government should introduce a policy for all slum dwellers. Rehabilitation of slum dwellers must be ensured in the right manner. Moreover, the government should get children of slum dwellers admitted to schools. Earlier, dwellers from several selected slums have been shifted to flats. But in some cases, the MC has removed slums, but dwellers have not been rehabilitated.”

Satish Thaman, member, Ludhiana (West) Grievances Redressal Committee said, “The civic body should ensure rehabilitation of all slum dwellers. The MC should make arrangements to shift them to an appropriate location before conducting any anti-encroachment drive. They should be provided accommodation. Their children should be provided free education.”

About a month ago, the Municipal Corporation (MC) had conducted a demolition drive near Buddha Nullah on Tajpur Road and razed some slums. But, slum dwellers had then claimed that the civic body took no measures for their rehabilitation.

The MC tehbazari wing in-charge, Neeraj Jain, said they shifted slum dwellers to flats constructed under the BSUP scheme. The MC also shifted dwellers from a green belt area, near Salem Tabri, to Giaspura flats recently, he added.