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SRA takes action against builders, squatters to acquire 2,033 flats meant for PAPs
Following this, the state housing department - MHADA (Maharashtra Area and Housing Development Authority), ordered the SRA to take action against the squatters. Ten flying squads have been formed by the SRA, and so far, they have checked 925 houses and the process of removing encroachers has begun
Mumbai: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has begun the process of acquiring 2,033 flats from builders and squatters meant for the rehabilitation of project-affected persons (PAPs) in the city.
Following this, the state housing department - MHADA (Maharashtra Area and Housing Development Authority), ordered the SRA to take action against the squatters.
Ten flying squads have been formed by the SRA, and so far, they have checked 925 houses and the process of removing encroachers has begun.
Satish Lokhande, chief executive officer, SRA, said, “As per the Development Control Promotional Rules (DCPR), we are supposed to get flats from builders across Mumbai. These are handed over to various agencies, and they allot it to the slum dwellers who are displaced in projects. We have formed 10 squads, each headed by a naib tehsildar.’’ The squads will also have one sub-engineer, one officer from the cooperation department, and security guards.
An assistant commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that several projects are being held up in the city because there is a severe shortage of flats for PAPs. “BMC was supposed to get a lot of flats in Mahul, but no one is going there because of pollution and court litigation, and it is out of bounds for Mumbaikars. In fact, BMC is now tendering for the construction of more flats for PAPs.’’
A retired additional chief secretary of MHADA said that the encroachments of flats meant for PAPs happen because of collisions between builders, officers, and organised gangs. “These flats are either in control of the builder or in the control of SRA,” he said. “This kind of corruption has to stop. SRA must have a mechanism to end this encroachment, and it should appoint a vigilance wing like MHADA to check this nuisance.’’
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