Mumbai, April 24, 2026: Residents across Dharavi are increasingly worried that, despite submitting BMC-issued photopasses, long considered as the strongest proof of residency, many original inhabitants are still being marked as "undecided" in their eligibility status.
Confusion over photopass dates
The confusion, officials clarified, stems from a technical issue around the date of issuance of the photopasses. While the BMC had surveyed structures before the January 1, 2000, cut-off, the actual photopasses were issued later, against residents’ applications, leading to a mismatch on paper.
"The surveys were carried out before 2000 and residents were initially given survey receipts, locally known as survey pavtis,” an official explained. “Post-2000, some of the residents got their survey pavtis converted into formal photopasses.”
Verification process underway
Since the photopasses carry the post-2000 issuance dates, the DRP is treating them cautiously. Each case is being referred back to the BMC for detailed verification to confirm that the original survey was conducted before the cut-off year. Until this verification is completed, applicants continue to remain in the “undecided” category.
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Relief after BMC clarification
However, sources have confirmed that DRP has received a letter from the BMC stating that any photopass issued after 2000 (as verified by BMC) can now be considered for eligibility consideration. Officials said the verification process is being fast-tracked to ensure genuine beneficiaries are not left out due to technical discrepancies.
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