Kalyan-Dombivli civic chief assures to implement rehab plan for project affected people
The PAPs in several projects in the twin cities of Kalyan-Dombivli including the Ring Road project in Kalyan (W), the U-type road in Kalyan (E), Thakurli parallel road in Dombivli are still awaiting rehabilitation
In a relief to the Project Affected People (PAP) of developmental projects, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) commissioner has assured to implement a rehabilitation plan soon.
The PAPs in several projects in the twin cities of Kalyan-Dombivli including the Ring Road project in Kalyan (W), the U-type road in Kalyan (E), Thakurli parallel road in Dombivli are still awaiting rehabilitation. The civic body did not have a rehabilitation plan in place. Thus, the rehabilitation was delayed.
Vijay Suryavanshi, KDMC chief, said, “We will conduct meetings with those affected in road projects and formulate a rehabilitation plan on priority. Our officials have been asked to work on it, make a list of those affected and suggest rehabilitation options for them.”
Those affected in the widening of the Siddharth Nagar U-type road in Kalyan (E) two decades ago are still fighting for rehabilitation.
“I lost my one room kitchen in 2000. Even today, there is no alternate accommodation provided by the civic body. Initially, we went to the court, who asked to provide rehabilitation to 12-13 residents. The civic body had discussed this matter in the general body several times but still nothing has been done,” said Balu Anand Ubale, 61, who lives in Jimmibaugh with his family.
Residents also formed a group, ‘Citizens Rehabilitation Committee’, to fight for the rehabilitation of the affected people. Since 2000, the KDMC has been trying to widen the U-type road extending from Katemanivali Naka to Tisgaon Naka by 24m to ease congestion on the road. However, residents and shop owners kept protesting, demanding the KDMC to first rehabilitate the people already affected by a demolition drive conducted in 2000.
The committee said 18 families were affected in the demolition drive conducted in 2000 in Siddharth Nagar.
“The rehabilitation committee of the civic body has approved the sanctioning of alternative space for those affected in the Siddharth Nagar project in 2014. However, all we got were false assurances. We want the civic body to first make a proper data on the properties available to them that they can hand over to the affected people. If a person who lives near the station is affected and is given a flat in the outskirts, what is the point of such rehabilitation?” said Uday Rasal, president of Citizens Rehabilitation Committee.