Mumbai: It’s been two years since Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performed the bhoomi pujan (foundationstone-laying ceremony) of the ambitious housing redevelopment project of the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) Chawls located at Worli, Naigaon and N M Joshi Marg.
The event was held after the contractors were shortlisted. Unfortunately, even after the elapse of two years, the construction is yet to begin. According to an official of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the housing agency is still in the process of trying to convince N M Joshi and Naigaon tenants to support the proposed redevelopment plan.
It is only after the tenants are convinced and sign the transit agreements to vacate their houses, the other administrative work will begin. Once all the residents comply with this procedure, the construction will initiate. It is learnt that the MHADA has set up an online system for the NM Joshi Marg project. The officials hope to complete the agreement formalities faster through the digital transit process.
“We are ready with the online system and expecting to start the service next week. It will save time and expedite the work. Moreoever, tenants will be spared the pain to visit the office for registeration and documentation. The MHADA will bear the expenses with every registration,” said the official.
The process will cost the agency Rs700 each case. Meanwhile, the Worli BDD project MHADA is awaiting the approval from the tree authority of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Approximately 6,00 trees will be felled and accordingly a proportionate number will be transplanted before the construction of the transit and rehabilitation buildings begins at these sites.
The official remarked, “Going by the amount of work to be completed, we expect the construction at NM Joshi Marg to begin by Diwali. The monsoon is just two months away when all the construction works will halt. During this time, we hope to complete the transit agreement process. We cannot evict the residents from the existing structures until the entire process is over.”
According to the records available with the MHADA, until now, 288 of the 408 eligible residents in the first phase of the seven chawls at NM Joshi Marg have agreed to sign the transit agreement. Once the online registration for the 288 tenants is complete, the remaining tenants will undergo the same process,” said the official.
