BJP to take up removal of slums along tracks

Delhi Assembly session

New Delhi: The one-day session of Delhi Assembly on Monday is likely to be stormy as the BJP has decided to “vociferously” raise the issue of removal of 48,000 slum-dwellings along the railway tracks in the national capital following a Supreme Court order.
The ruling AAP and the opposition BJP have been attacking one another over the issue.
On August 31, the top court ordered that the slums along the tracks be removed within three months and said there should be no political interference in executing the plan. The BJP has demanded that the slum dwellers be rehabilitated in the vacant flats of the Delhi government before the order is implemented.
The Delhi government has asked the Railways to not demolish the slums without providing alternative accommodation to the inhabitants.
The Northern Railways had submitted a report to the apex court which said that mushrooming of slums along railway tracks is acting as hindrance towards keeping them clean.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said his party will “vociferously” raise the issue and demand the AAP government to rehabilitate the slum dwellers in the “50,000 vacant flats built under the JNNURM”.
BJP legislators have also said the assembly session should be extended to five days to enable MLAs to raise issues of public interest.
Issues like inflated power bills and poor water supply arrangements and the sorry state of roads will also be raised, Bidhuri asserted. Various safety measures have been put in place for the one-day session, including setting up of a coronavirus testing facility at the assembly for the assembly staff and legislators before the session.
Three persons have tested positive for the virus there. Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said Sunday that 94 individuals, including 29 MLAs, were tested (RT-PCR) on Friday and no person was found positive for the coronavirus.
“In addition, 214 rapid antigen tests were also conducted at the assembly, where three individuals were found corona positive,” he said in a statement.
According to the list of business, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will table papers, including a report of Delhi Technological University for 2018-19.
Power Minister Satyendar Jain will table the annual report of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission for 2017-18. Sisodia will also introduce The Delhi Goods & Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the House. The MLAs will be allowed to raise matters under Rule 280, but there will be no Question Hour, officials said. The session will begin at 2 PM. (PTI)