Maharashtra government looks at redevelopment of slum clusters

The state government on Tuesday it was tapping the possibility of redevelopment of slum clusters in Mumbai through Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for quicker development and monetisation of the land

The state government on Tuesday it was tapping the possibility of redevelopment of slum clusters in Mumbai through Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for quicker development and monetisation of the land. Housing minister Jitendra Awhad told the legislative Assembly that redevelopment through the government agency may help the government earn revenue from these prime plots worth crores.

HT Image

Congress MLAs Zeeshan Siddique and Amin Patel raised the issue of delayed development of the SRA project at Khar Golibar road, claiming it was forcing residents to live in transit camps for years. Other Mumbai MLAs, including Ashish Shelar and Yogesh Sagar, raised questions related to the other SRA projects in the city. They questioned if the residents who have been deprived of their homes can be financially assisted by the SRA and the state was revising the rule related to the sale of the redeveloped flats in such schemes.

Replying to the question, Awhad said his department was tapping the possibility of development of the slum projects by Mhada and SRA. “The plots from Bandra to Cuffe Parade are worth crore of rupees. Builders delay projects for years, depriving slumdwellers from rightful homes. We are thinking of developing such plots. This would help the SRA and Mhada earn revenue out of the saleable components after rehabilitating the tenants. I will discuss this with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and state cabinet,” he said.

Awhad said the state government had decided to bring down the mandatory period of 10 years for which slum dwellers are prohibited from selling their apartments in redeveloped buildings to five years. “Before we could issue the order, the decision was challenged in the court. By reducing the period, we want to reduce the hardship of the slum dwellers. We have informed the court about our resolve,” he said.

Awhad said of the 5,572 eligible slumdwellers at Khar Golibar Road, only 1,944 have been rehabilitated in the redeveloped buildings, while remaining are staying at transit camps for more than 15 years.