Chandigarh, Oct. 1 -- After the UT administration demolished Shahpur Colony in Sector 38 (West) on Tuesday, the city can now be called a slum-free city, as it was the last remaining slum in the region. On Tuesday, the UT Estate Office reclaimed around 4.5 acres of government land worth Rs 250 crore, after demolishing the slum. The settlement comprised around 300 huts and tenements, housing nearly 1,000 residents. Only three hutments were left as they got a stay from the Punjab and Haryana high court. The reclaimed government land has been earmarked for an institutional site. Prior to the demolition, all applicants were screened under the Chandigarh Small Flats Scheme, 2006. Eligible families were rehabilitated and allotted EWS flats at locations, including Industrial Area Phase I, Dhanas, Mauli Jagran, Ram Darbar, and Sector 49. Eight teams equipped with bulldozers carried out the demolition, which began at around 6 am and continued till 12 noon. Nearly 500 police personnel were deployed at the site to ensure smooth operations. Nishant Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner, Chandigarh, said: "Through a combination of planned rehabilitation, strategic demolitions, and strict enforcement, Chandigarh has made a significant step forward in eliminating slums. This initiative not only ensures the recovery of valuable public land but also provides thousands of residents with dignified housing and improved living conditions. As far as three houses are concerned, we will demolish them in the next two weeks". Soon, after the demolition, officials fenced the acquired land to prevent any future encroachment. UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday declared Chandigarh to be the first "slum-free city" in India. He was speaking at the valedictory function of passing out parade of Civil Defence Volunteers at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh. The administration has been working to make Chandigarh a slum-free since the early 2000s. In 2006, it launched an ambitious rehabilitation initiative under the Chandigarh Small Flats Scheme, earmarking 356 acres - nearly 20% of the city's 2,811 acres of net vacant land - for the construction of 25,728 flats intended to house 23,841 families from 18 unauthorised colonies. The UT administration has demolished 18 of the 19 slum colonies in the city so far and reclaimed more than 520 acres of land worth over Rs.21,000 crore. This year alone, it has recovered land worth Rs.1,530 crore. A study by Manoj Teotia, assistant professor at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Sector 19, traces the evolution of slums in the city from its very inception. According to his study, the growth of slums in Chandigarh began in the early 1950s, when migrant construction workers settled here during the city's development phase. In the 1950s, slums first came up in Sectors 7, 17, 19, 24, 35, and near the Capitol Complex. In the 1960s, labour colonies were reported in Sector 25, west of Sector 14, Sector 26, and Industrial Area Phase I. In 1998, the city witnessed the spread of labour and informal colonies. From 2006 to 2013, Chandigarh had 18 recognised slums, including Ambedkar Colony, Gurusagar Colony, Janta Colony, and Kabari Colony....