“There have been meetings and bombardment of huge figures but not a single house has been built over the past year. I don’t want to listen to discussions anymore.”
Mumbai : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, unhappy with the performance of the state housing department, took to task the ministers and the high ranking officials from the department at a review meeting.
Just while the Central government has given out clear instructions to focus on fulfilment of election promises and specifically gearing up the administration to achieve the target of housing for all as early as possible, the state government’s performance on the front has been dismal over the past year. Fadnavis has now signalled that the lax attitude won’t be tolerated henceforth.
“There have been several meetings and bombardment of huge figures but not a single house has been built over the past year. I don’t want to listen to any discussions now. Tell me when the houses would be ready,” Chief Minister is learnt to have told the ministers and the officials at a review meeting on Thursday.
“We have promised the people to provide them affordable houses, but construction has not been started even after a year has passed. This won’t be tolerated and come what may, the department should complete the target of constructing 2.5 lakh houses by the end of next year,” Fadnavis said at the meeting.
The chief minister also pointed out the lack of coordination between the BMC and the SRA department. The decisions have been unnecessarily delayed in at least 90 proposals. If the attitude continues, concerned individuals will have to face stern action,” he said.
Housing minister Prakash Mehta then assured the chief minister that the procedural delays would be done away with and necessary steps would be completed by end of this month in cases related to SRA projects. Principle secretary of the department Shrikant Singh made the presentation regarding the project at the meeting which was attended by MoS Ravindra Waikar and high ranking officials from all the concerned departments.
Officials from the urban development department, the housing department, MHADA, SRA, Shivshahi Rehabilitation Project, Dharavi Redevelopment Project and MMRDA were given specific tasks during the meeting after a thorough discussion regarding the problems faced by the departments and possible solutions.
