Uttarakhand: Ordinance came for the third time on slums… In six years neither the survey was completed nor were they notified

For the improvement, regularization, rehabilitation of slums of the state, a three-year ordinance came for the third time on Wednesday. Earlier, in the ordinance of two times i.e. six years, neither the survey of slums was completed nor all the settlements could be notified in three categories.

An ordinance came in 2016 regarding slums in the state. It was clear in it that those living in slums after March 11, 2016 will be considered illegal. The settlements before this will be identified and notified. Accordingly, the process of their rehabilitation or regularization will be done. Till date only 155 settlements have been notified.

After 2018 and 2021, by bringing the ordinance for the third time on Wednesday, the slums got oxygen for three years. According to the Urban Development Department, out of 582 slums, only 155 slums have been notified till now, including 102 in category-1 i.e. land ownership worthy, 6 in category-2 i.e. security wall etc. improvement worthy and 47 in category-3 i.e. not fully habitable. Surveys have been done of other slums too but they have not been notified. Due to this, concrete success has not been achieved till now regarding rehabilitation or regularization of slums.

Slums notified so far

(Four slums of Pithoragarh have not been notified yet)

What has happened in slums so far?

The Nainital High Court ordered the removal of encroachments from 582 slums located on the river bank. In 2016, the then Congress government brought an ordinance for the regularization of slums. In 2018, the Nainital High Court ordered the government to remove the people living in slums from there and rehabilitate them elsewhere. The government brought an ordinance for three years on 17 October 2018. After that, it again brought an ordinance for three years in 2021. Now an ordinance has been brought in 2024 also.