To improve the quality of life and to provide better civic amenities in the slum areas of the national capital, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) was formed in July 2010, which functions under the control of the Delhi government. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act, 2010 empowers the board to notify certain areas as slums, on the basis of availability of civic services. The board also looks after the settlement of squatters, by providing them amenities and rehabilitating them. Here is everything you need to know about Dusib and its activities.

See also: What is a shelter home?

How the DUSIB works

The DUSIB has the power to notify any area as a slum, under the Slum Improvement and Clearance Areas Act of 1956. Under Section 3 of the Act, the buildings and/or areas that are considered to be unfit for human habitation, are declared as slum areas. These are considered as legal structures and are eligible for benefits under the Act. However, the squatters of jhuggi jhopri (JJ) Cluster settlements, are considered as encroachments on public or private lands and therefore, seen as illegal. With new rules in place, no fresh encroachment is permitted on public land. Past encroachments in existence till January 31, 1990, cannot be removed without providing alternatives.

Rehabilitation beneficiaries under the DUSIB

* For the JJ dwellers having ration cards and meeting the cut-off date of January 31, 1990 and residing on land that is urgently required by the land-owning agencies for the execution of public purpose projects, a plot of 18 sq metres is provided to them. Those who fall beyond the cut-off date of 1990 but till December 1998 and with ration cards, are provided plots of 12.5 sq metres.

* For settlements where the land owning agencies do not require land in the near future and give an NOC, in-situ upgradation of the slum clusters is taken up.

* For settlements that do not fall in the above categories, the board arranges for civic amenities in such areas.

See also: All about the DDA housing scheme

DUSIB allotment: Eligibility criteria and conditions

1. The beneficiary should be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of India.
2. The annual income of JJ dweller’s family should not exceed Rs 60,000 per annum.
3. The name of JJ dweller should be present in the joint biometric survey conducted by the land owning agency and the DUSIB.
4. The JJ dweller will be entitled to only one residential flat, irrespective of the number of jhuggis he/she is occupying. No flat shall be allotted if the jhuggi is used for commercial purposes.
5. One residential flat can be allotted, in lieu of jhuggis being used for both, residential and commercial purposes.
6. For a multi-storeyed jhuggi that is used for residential purpose, by the same person or different persons, allotment will only be given to the occupant of the ground floor.
7. If a JJ dweller expires after the survey but his/her legal heirs are in possession of the jhuggi with all the required documents and meet the other eligibility criteria, then, his/her widow/widower, can be considered for allotment of a flat.
8. The DUSIB will allot the flat on a licence basis, for an initial period of 15 years, which may be extended. The licence cannot be transferred, except in case of death of the licensee. The flat shall be used exclusively for the licencee’s family members only. He/she cannot rent out and part with the possession of the flat.
9. The licensee shall use the flat for residential purposes only.
10. The DUSIB can cancel the allotment of the flat and take over its possession, if the allottee violates the stipulated terms and conditions, without providing any compensation.
11. The allotment shall stand cancelled and no compensation will be provided, if the same has been procured by misrepresentation, fraud, suppression of facts, or by producing fake documents, etc. This shall be without any prejudice to any criminal action that may be called for.

See also: What is a leave and licence agreement?

DUSIB: Allotment of flats

The allotment of flats to the eligible JJ dwellers, will be done through a computerised draw of lots by the DUSIB. If any allottee fails to take over the physical possession of the flat allotted to him/ her within 30 days of the allotment, the allotment will stand cancelled and it will be deemed that the JJ dweller does not require the flat.

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