The Delhi Government housing colonies that have long served as accommodation for its officials and staff are set for a major redevelopment, with the government planning to replace old flats with high-rise buildings under the Transit Oriented Development policy.

The first phase will cover Gulabi Bagh in North Delhi, Kalyanwas in Mayur Vihar and Bahapur near Defence Colony. The projects will follow a self-financing model, with the government seeking to recover construction costs through the sale of flats and commercial space, according to a report by The Tribune. 

PWD Minister Parvesh verma said Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanwas would have both residential and commercial development. Around 10% of the area at these two sites will be used commercially, while the government plans to use the permissible floor area ratio (FAR) to construct high rise buildings.

“The 10% of flats at Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanwas are planned for commercial use to help recover the redevelopment costs. We also have plans to use the entire permissible FAR at these two locations and build high-rise buildings. We will keep flats for officials and staff, as per the requirement, and the remaining will be sold,” he said.

The revenue will also be used to finance the proposed Delhi Secretariat complex at the ITO.

Bahapur, unlike the other two sites, will be purely residential. The government plans 160 Type V and Type VI flats there. “In Bahapur, 160 Type V and Type VI flats, with bedrooms, halls and kitchens, will be constructed. The tender for this project will be floated by next week. As there is an immediate requirement here, these will be for residential purposes,” Singh said.

The Bahapur project is expected to cost around Rs 400 crore and will be placed before the Expenditure Finance Committee for approval.

Singh said poor housing conditions had also become a concern for officials. “The Delhi Government residential complexes are not in a very good condition, due to which several officials opt for transfers. We want our staff and bureaucrats also to have good accommodation and living space,” he said. 

Seven more sites, including Probyn Road, Timarpur, Sindhora Khurd, Sindhora Kalan and Vikas Bhawan, have also been identified for redevelopment.