Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday requested Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to halt the demolition drive being carried out around the railway tracks across 18 Assembly constituencies in the Capital. Mr. Sisodia said the State Government would try to develop alternate settlements for the residents of slums that had come up along the railway tracks.
Mr. Sisodia, who met Mr. Prabhu at Rail Bhavan here, said the immediate demolition and driving away poor people from their jhuggis would be an “inhuman act”. He said if the State Government got some time to solve the problem by developing alternate settlements; it would benefit the poor people residing in these areas.
According to official sources, Mr. Prabhu assured the Deputy Chief Minister that the demolition drive would be put on hold for the time being. He said it should be treated as a joint problem and a solution should be worked out together after setting up a time frame.
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Sources said the Delhi Government officials have been asked to work with their counterparts in the Railways and chalk out a plan to resettle those living in these areas.
The Railway Minister has said that the drive would be put on hold for the time being