Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges DDA corruption over flats meant for ‘Jhuggi’ Dwellers

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday accused the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) of widespread corruption, alleging that government flats meant for ‘jhuggi’ dwellers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) are being sold on the black market to ineligible buyers. Speaking at a press conference at the AAP headquarters, Bharadwaj claimed that these flats, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kalkaji a few years ago, were intended for residents of JJ clusters but are now being illicitly sold to others. 
“A recent sting operation (referring to a news segment aired on television) revealed that these flats are being sold on the black market, bypassing the intended beneficiaries. The poor, who were supposed to get these homes, are being denied while corruption runs rampant,” said Bharadwaj. He further criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying, “We gave free electricity to the poor, and the BJP opposed it. We provided 20,000 litres of water, and the BJP opposed it. We made bus travel free for women, and the BJP opposed that too. Now, flats built for the poor are being sold to others in black.” 
Bharadwaj said that the flats under the PMAY scheme were constructed to provide dignified housing to ‘jhuggi’ dwellers and reduce the number of informal settlements in Delhi. He claimed over the past two years while the poor are being evicted from demolished ‘jhuggis,’ others without proper documentation or eligibility are receiving these flats. “There’s a lengthy process for a ‘jhuggi’ dweller to be allotted a flat, including surveys, document checks, and eligibility verification. Yet, people with no such documentation are being allotted these flats, which raises serious concerns,” he added. 
The minister also questioned whether such corruption could have occurred without the involvement of high-ranking DDA officials, suggesting possible collusion with the Lieutenant Governor (LG), who serves as the DDA’s chairman. “It’s hard to believe that the LG, who controls the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Vigilance Department, and CBI, was unaware that flats meant for ‘jhuggi’ dwellers were being stolen through corruption,” Bharadwaj alleged. 
Bharadwaj’s comments have prompted responses from both the LG’s office and the DDA. However, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the minister’s accusations as “baseless,” pointing out that the Kejriwal government failed to allocate 40,000 flats built under the Rajiv Awas Yojana during Sheila Dikshit’s tenure. Sachdeva also questioned the performance of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which is responsible for providing homes for the poor. “Bharadwaj should clarify how many houses DUSIB has allocated over the past ten years. Why has the Kejriwal government failed to implement the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Delhi, leaving many poor families without homes?” asked Sachdeva. 
Meanwhile, DDA in a statement said that the “statements and allegations made by Saurabh Bharadwaj are patently false, without any basis and bereft of facts.”
“Not a single flat/dwelling unit in the Kalkaji Slum Rehabilitation project has been allotted to an ineligible beneficiary and DDA has foolproof technology-enabled systems in place to ensure that no fraudulent allotment/sale is made. Not a single person recorded in the supposed “sting” operation by the news channel is associated even remotely with DDA. A police complaint has already been filed against the individuals shown as “black marketeers” in the supposed fraudulent sting operation and the DDA will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion. The DDA will pursue the matter with police and also take recourse to judicial remedies if required,” DDA said in the statement.