The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has removed two slums — Pratap Nagar and Harijan Basti — from the list of slums identified for giving land rights to slum dwellers under the Sarvajan Hitay Garib Avaas Malikana Haq Yojna.

The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Mayawati on her 53rd birthday on January 15.

Both these slums were removed from the list on Sunday, as the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and LDA had launched housing schemes on the land where these slums had come up.

“The LDA has already conducted the plotting of the land in Harijan Basti and a few allotments have also been done,” said SN Tripathi, LDA nodal officer for the scheme. “Similarly, the LMC also owns the land in Pratap Nagar where it had started a housing scheme a few years ago. So both slums have been removed from the list.”

The status of these slums came to light when the LDA cross-checked the revenue records. So far, the LDA has removed 36 slums from the list for similar reasons.

Now land ownership rights will be given to eligible people in only 23 slums in the state capital.

“The LDA has already taken money for giving the lease of the land to over 160 slum dwellers of Pratap Nagar and Harijan Basti. Their money will be refunded after February 10,” Tripathi said.

Under the scheme, the state government has decided to give slum dwellers ownership rights of land on the slums which have come up on undisputed state government land at a nominal rate of Rs 20 per square metre. Only those slum-dwellers are entitled to reap the benefit who occupy a maximum of 33 square metres. 

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