Independence Day 2026: Mumbai refugees got 361 sq ft homes for ₹5,300; to receive 635 sq ft flats after 7 decades

Independence Day 2026: Over 1,200 Partition refugee families to move from 361 sq ft tenements bought at ₹14 per sq ft to 635 sq ft flats after 70 years

In the aftermath of Partition, the government rehabilitated Sindhi and Punjabi refugees who migrated from Pakistan by providing them with 361 sq ft homes in Mumbai’s GTB Nagar in the 1950s. The homes were allotted at around ₹5,300. More than seven decades later, these families are expected to receive larger 635 sq ft redeveloped homes, marking a significant shift in the housing conditions of communities that began rebuilding their lives in Mumbai after Independence.

independence Day 2026: Once allotted to Partition refugees at around ₹14-15 per sq ft, property rates in GTB Nagar, Mumbai, have now risen to ₹25,000-35,000 per sq ft, according to local brokers. The colony was among several refugee settlements created in the city after Partition. (Photo for representational purposes only) (Chatgpt generated photo)

These refugee families, settled in what is now Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar in Sion Koliwada, were allotted apartments of around 40 square yards, or approximately 360 sq ft, for about ₹5,380 each. The rate worked out to roughly ₹14-15 per sq ft.

The homes were part of a government rehabilitation programme for people displaced during Partition. Beginning in 1957, more than 1,200 refugee families were settled in around 1,200 apartments across 25 buildings constructed specifically for them. Families were allowed to pay for the apartments in instalments, making home ownership more accessible as they rebuilt their lives in India.

More than seven decades later, the contrast with Mumbai’s property market is stark. According to local brokers, prevailing property rates in the locality are around ₹25,000-35,000 per sq ft, compared with ₹14-15 per sq ft at which the apartments were originally allotted. While this represents a dramatic rise in the notional value of the properties, residents have had limited ability to realise that value because of the deteriorating condition of the buildings.

The GTB Nagar colony was among several refugee settlements created in Mumbai after Partition. More than 5,000 families were provided homes across five colonies, including Sion Koliwada, Wadia Trust Estate in Kurla, Chembur Colony, Thakkar Bappa Colony in Chembur and Mulund Colony. The rehabilitation was carried out under the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954.

Over the years, many families who became financially better off moved out, selling their apartments to other refugees and, in some cases, non-refugees. Others stayed on, hoping the ageing buildings would eventually be redeveloped. By the late 1990s, residents had started receiving notices to vacate as the structures deteriorated.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared the buildings unsafe in 2020 and subsequently demolished several of them. Affected residents were forced to find alternative accommodation, according to MHADA. While many buildings were vacated, some residents either refused to leave or later reoccupied them, putting their lives at risk.

The Maharashtra government subsequently appointed MHADA to undertake the redevelopment of the colony. The redevelopment will provide affected families with larger homes of around 635 sq ft, marking a significant shift from the approximately 360 sq ft apartments allotted to Partition refugees in the 1950s.

“My grandfather purchased the apartment in 1954 from the government for about ₹5,300, and today we are thankful to the government for providing us with a 635 sq ft 2 BHK apartment. The developer will also pay us a monthly rent of ₹20,000 until we receive possession, which is expected over the next three years,” said Sunil Vijan, a GTB Nagar resident.

1,400 refugee families to get 635 sq ft homes in GTB Nagar redevelopment

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has appointed Rustomjee Group, also known as Keystone Realtors, to redevelop 25 buildings in Mumbai’s Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar), Sion Koliwada.

The project will rehabilitate around 1,200 Sindhi refugee families who migrated to India from Pakistan after Partition. Under the redevelopment plan, eligible families will receive 635-sq-ft apartments in exchange for their existing homes in dilapidated buildings.

The 11.20-acre project will also rehabilitate around 200 slum dwellers. The redevelopment will generate 25,700 sq m of MHADA housing stock, with a permissible Floor Space Index (FSI) of 4.5, including fungible FSI.