Delhi's new slum policy revives PPP model, but Kathputli Colony residents still wait
Lakshmi, born into a family of performers in Delhi's Kathputli Colony, was 19 when her family was relocated to a transit camp in Anand Parbat in 2014. The move, intended to be temporary, was part of a public-private partnership (PPP) redevelopment project by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Raheja Developers. Now 31, she lives with seven family members in two porta cabins, with no permanent housing in sight.
Her family was among about 4,000 displaced between 2014 and 2017 after the DDA signed its first PPP in situ slum rehabilitation agreement. Under the deal, Raheja was to build 2,800 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats on 60% of the 12.89-acre land in Shadipur, free of cost to the DDA, and use the remaining 40% for commercial and market-rate housing. Of the displaced families, 492 were allotted flats in Narela, while others were deemed ineligible. The developer was also responsible for basic amenities at the transit camp.
The DDA has not undertaken another PPP redevelopment since. However, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced a new Delhi Slum and JJ Cluster Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy on June 16, 2026, which revives this model. The policy, yet to be notified, designates the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board as the nodal agency for projects on Delhi government land.
Residents at Anand Parbat face harsh conditions: open drains, garbage piles, and unfit tap water. They are trapped in a double bind—they cannot leave the camp for fear of being struck off the beneficiary list during random inspections. Many, like Lakshmi's family of dhol players, have seen their livelihoods suffer. Performers once sought after in Kathputli Colony now struggle to find work.
Prakash Bhatt, a 58-year-old puppeteer, quotes folklore to express hopelessness: "After promising to return in six months, you didn't even show up in a year." Puran Bhatt, another puppeteer who has performed in 30 countries, says his work vanished after the relocation. "Since our address changed, nobody knows where we live," he said.
At the construction site in Shadipur, work appears halted. A site engineer, speaking anonymously, said work stopped nearly seven months ago due to pollution concerns. The DDA and Raheja Developers did not respond to requests for comment. Lakshmi says, "The last I heard, we were supposed to move in May. We have lost all hope."
