7 colonies, 21,000 homes: Inside Modi govt’s plan to give modern housing to thousands of government employees

Approved by the Union Cabinet on July 5, 2016, the programme aims to replace ageing government housing colonies with higher-density residential complexes and modern infrastructure while optimising land use in the city.

According to a Delhi Urban Arts Commission report, the GPRA colonies in Delhi date back to the pre-independence era. One of the first colonies came up in the Lodhi area in the 1940s to accommodate central government employees and staff. The pattern was followed, which resulted in over 50 GPRA colonies within Delhi.

These accommodations are under the administrative control of the Directorate of Estates (DoE) in Delhi.

Under the plan, seven old colonies — Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Srinivaspuri and Mohammadpur — are being redeveloped.

The existing housing stock of about 12,970 flats, most of which were Type I to Type IV government quarters built several decades ago, is being replaced with more than 21,000 modern residential units.

All employees of the central government, as well as Delhi government staff who are working in offices specifically declared eligible for the General Pool, are entitled for allotment of accommodation from the General Pool.

Once completed by around 2028, it will create a built-up area of about 65.42 lakh square metres, significantly higher than the earlier housing stock. The overall project cost is estimated to cost around Rs 32,000 crore.

What features will the new complexes have?

The new housing complexes are being designed with modern urban infrastructure and sustainability features. These include centralised services, green building standards, rainwater harvesting systems, solar rooftop panels, solid and liquid waste management systems and energy monitoring facilities. Buildings will also incorporate fire detection systems, integrated security infrastructure, power backup and electric vehicle charging points.

The redevelopment also includes social infrastructure such as community facilities, internal roads, parking areas and public utilities aimed at improving living conditions within the colonies.

Apart from residential units, the project also includes office infrastructure. Government office space is being developed at Netaji Nagar, while a commercial office complex called Bharat Business Park is planned in Sarojini Nagar.

According to official data, more than 25 lakh sqm of construction has already been completed across the seven colonies.

Who is implementing the mega project?

The project is being implemented by two agencies. NBCC India Limited, a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is redeveloping Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Nauroji Nagar. The Central Public Works Department is implementing redevelopment in Kasturba Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Srinivaspuri and Mohammadpur.

The NBCC has previously completed the redevelopment of GPRA colonies at New Motibagh and East Kidwai Nagar. NBCC has already completed the redevelopment of Nauroji Nagar by completing the World Trade Center which was inaugurated in January 2025.

The redevelopment follows a self-financing model in which commercial space developed in parts of the project — particularly along major corridors such as Ring Road — is monetised to finance the housing construction. This model is intended to reduce the burden on the government budget while enabling large-scale urban redevelopment.