Slum dwellers can now sell SRA flats after seven years

The housing department had, in fact, moved a proposal that slum-dwellers be allowed to sell their free houses after three years. This proposal was moved following the recommendations of a sub-committee formed to decide whether the lock-in period should be reduced or not

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to hand out a bonanza to slum-dwellers rehabilitated under Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects by giving them permission to sell their free flats after seven years. Currently, the lock-in period is 10 years, and even after that period, permission from the SRA is required to sell. The decision to reduce this to seven years was taken in a cabinet meeting held on March 23, and the state housing department is in the process of issuing a notification, said an official.

Mumbai, India - May 15, 2016: HDIL Slum Rehabilitation Authority at Kurla in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, May 15, 2016. (Photo by Pramod Thakur/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The housing department had, in fact, moved a proposal that slum-dwellers be allowed to sell their free houses after three years. This proposal was moved following the recommendations of a sub-committee formed to decide whether the lock-in period should be reduced or not. However, the law and judiciary department strongly objected to the move on the grounds that the SRA scheme was meant to provide shelter to homeless slum-dwellers, not to allow them to profiteer from free tenements.

“Allowing sale of tenements which have been allotted free of cost may encourage development of more slums in cities. If the department allows selling such tenements within three years from the removal of the hutment structure, the purpose of slum rehabilitation scheme will be frustrated,” stated the law and judiciary department. It further observed that given the steep price of houses in urban areas like Mumbai, Thane and Pune, slum-dwellers, after selling their tenements, would again erect new slums in other parts of the city.

As per the existing provisions of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, those living in slums built until January 1, 2000, are legally protected and cannot be removed without a free rehabilitation tenement.

In May 2018, the state government decided to provide houses to ‘ineligible’ slum dwellers residing in hutments built before January 1, 2011, but not for free. In their case, it decided to charge the construction cost for the tenement, and tasked the sub-committee with deciding this cost. On March 23, the state cabinet decided to charge such slum dwellers a sum of ₹2.5 lakh.