Maharashtra government signs MoU to construct 12,000 houses for dabbawalas in Mumbai under PMAY scheme

Under the scheme, 500 sq ft flats will be made available for ₹25 lakh. The project will be implemented by MHADA under the Centre's PMAY scheme

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on September 13 said that 12,000 houses would be built for dabbawalas and members of the 'charmakar' (cobbler) community in three years under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY) in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on September 13 said that 12,000 houses would be built for dabbawalas and members of the 'charmakar' (cobbler) community in three years ((Photo: Bachchan Kumar/ HT))

The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) under the PMAY scheme of the Central government. A 30-acre plot will be provided by Priyanka Homes Realty, and Naman Builders will execute it on a no-profit-no-loss basis, a statement from Fadnavis's office said.

Under the scheme, 500 sq ft homes will be made available for ₹25 lakh. The dream of dabbawalas (tiffin-box carriers) to own houses will be fulfilled, the statement added.

Fadnavis said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with developers for the housing project.

"For more than 100 years, dabbewalas have served Mumbaikars. Under this scheme, 12,000 houses are to be constructed for the dabbawalas. So, the dream of dabbewallas to have their own house in Mumbai will be fulfilled in three years," Devendra Fadnavis said in a tweet.

"Today, they have gone global. They are being researched in the world, but despite being global, they have not left their principles and loyalties, that is why they are getting this rightful home. The state government will provide all necessary help to complete this work quickly," he added.

Budget outlay

The Maharashtra government’s Interim Budget for 2024-2025 has set a target to construct 35 lakh affordable homes in the next five years through various housing schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), for which it has allocated ₹7425 crore.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 announced an outlay of ₹10 lakh crore under the PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0. Budget 2024 has also brought back interest subsidies under the flagship scheme setting aside ₹4,000 crore for the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).