Nexus between SRA, developers showing Wadas as slums for extra TDR discussed in assembly

NCP member of legislative assembly (MLA) Sunil Tingre on Wednesday demanded an inquiry into all such cases where Wadas have been shown as slums to avail the benefit of extra TDR

After Pune municipal commissioner, Vikram Kumar, on December 11 ordered the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to stop issuing slum transfer development rights (TDR) for the redevelopment of Wadas in the city, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member of legislative assembly (MLA) Sunil Tingre on Wednesday demanded an inquiry into all such cases where Wadas have been shown as slums to avail the benefit of extra TDR.

The SRA has been constituted to eradicate slums and provide better houses to slumdwellers however developers are trying to get extra TDR in the name of slum redevelopment. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The SRA has been constituted to eradicate slums and provide better houses to slumdwellers however developers are trying to get extra TDR in the name of slum redevelopment.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena leaders Ujwal Keskar and Prashant Badhe had exposed the nexus between developers and the SRA saying that Wadas in the city were being shown as slums in order to avail the benefit of extra TDR.

Municipal commissioner Kumar took immediate notice of this and issued orders to the SRA on December 11 saying, “It is observed that instead of slums, in some cases, slum TDR is being used for Wada redevelopment in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Do not approve any proposal now, and submit a detailed report about all such cases.”

As the municipal commissioner himself accepted that such cases were happening in the city and that the SRA was approving such proposals, NCP MLA Tingre on Wednesday raised the issue in the assembly session in progress at Nagpur.

“I myself am in favour of the redevelopment of Wadas. They should get redeveloped. But there is a nexus between developers and the administration showing Wadas as slums and taking benefit of extra TDR. This will have a negative impact on the city’s infrastructure. There is a need to institute an inquiry into all such proposals and take strict action against the administration,” Tingre said.