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SRA survey of Patil Estate slums to begin October 25, decks cleared for more carpet area for dwellers
The SRA officials held a meeting with the residents of the Patil Estate slums and the management of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP). The survey is the first step towards the pending slum redevelopment project
PUNE: The Pune Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has initiated a survey of the Patil Estate slums at Shivajinagar, scheduled to begin on Monday, October 25. The SRA officials held a meeting with the residents of the Patil Estate slums and the management of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP). The survey is the first step towards the pending slum redevelopment project.
Rajendra Nimbalkar, chief executive officer of SRA Pune, said, “We want to complete the redevelopment of the Patil Estate slums in the next four years. From Monday, we are starting a survey of all the shanties in the area. A plan will be prepared thereafter. We are aiming to float tenders for the developers in January 2022 and start the development work by April 2022.”
The land on which the slums have come up was allotted to the COEP in the late 1980s but could not be brought to use because of the encroachments. Gradually, the number of shanties on this land has increased substantially, prompting the COEP to approach the SRA to implement the redevelopment project. The actual picture with regard to the redevelopment project will be clear once survey data is obtained, according to the COEP authorities.
B B Ahuja, director of the COEP, said, “That land belongs to the COEP. SRA is conducting this survey. Through the survey, we will get to know how many shanties are there and how many people are eligible for the redevelopment scheme. Also, we will get an idea about the availability of land for the COEP. Once data from the survey is obtained, the picture will be clear.”
Comparing the upcoming survey with an earlier one carried out by the COEP through a private NGO, Mr Ahuja said, “The SRA is now conducting the survey and the data obtained from it will be authentic as it has been carried out by a government agency.”
The state government approved the Pune SRA’s new development policy on September 23, clearing the decks for the slum dwellers to get more carpet area as desired by them. Developers too are set to get some benefits as free sale will be allowed and they will be less dependent on the transfer of development rights (TDR). Under the new policy, a timeframe of 18 to 48 months has been assigned to the developers depending on the number of homes. This decision is expected to benefit the approximately 600 slums in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Nimbalkar said, “Residents in this area were demanding a carpet area of 300 sq ft. It will now be possible as we will be able to implement the new development policy. I request the residents to cooperate with us in the survey and in future as well.”
