New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has initiated a formal eviction process for three major slum clusters situated along Race Course Road, a high-security zone located in close proximity to the Prime Minister’s official residence. According to a directive issued this Thursday by the Land and Development Office, inhabitants of the Bhai Ram, Masjid, and DID camps have been instructed to vacate their current dwellings by March 6. This administrative move is part of a broader urban realignment strategy that requires residents to transition to government-allotted flats within the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board colony at Savda Ghevra.
While the relocation is framed as a rehabilitation effort, it presents significant logistical shifts for the affected population. Approximately 717 households have been identified for alternative housing; however, the new site at Savda Ghevra is situated nearly 45 kilometers away from their current central Delhi location. Authorities have cautioned that failure to comply with the March deadline may result in formal legal proceedings. Interestingly, while the surrounding area was famously renamed Lok Kalyan Marg nearly a decade ago, the Ministry’s land records still utilize the traditional Race Course Road designation for these specific plots.
The groundwork for this transition began early last year when a collaborative survey was conducted by the Land and Development Office and the Delhi Development Authority. This assessment was designed to verify which families met the specific eligibility criteria under the existing housing policies. Despite the Ministry’s push to move forward, the eviction process has faced legal hurdles. A previous notice issued in late 2025 was met with a challenge in the Delhi High Court, resulting in a judicial reminder that the government must adhere to strict procedural safeguards. Although the court has provided interim protection to the residents until a scheduled hearing in May, the Ministry is proceeding with the latest round of notices as part of the formal rehabilitation timeline.
