In a major move that is likely to influence the voters in Mumbai ahead of the BMC elections, the State Government has decided to provide housing for around 12 lakh ineligible slum dwellers at just around Rs2.5 lakh. The housing department, led by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, issued a government resolution on Thursday stating that the slum dwellers, from between January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2011, who were earlier ineligible for redevelopment under the schemes of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) would now be eligible.
A lingering issue
The previous government scheme regarding free housing for slum dwellers was applicable only to slums built until 2000, while the provisional paid rehabilitation scheme for ineligible slum dwellers until 2011 was under consideration. On May 16, 2018, the state government decided to provide houses to those “ineligible” slum dwellers residing in slums built before January 1, 2011, against the construction cost. But the specific fees were not determined back then.
The issue kept lingering for a long time until recently when a sub-committee chaired by the housing minister was formed to decide the construction cost to be collected from the “ineligible” slum dwellers residing in hutments built before January 1, 2011. The decision was made as per the suggestions of the sub-committee and the government resolution was issued, sources said.
MVA Government was insensitive
The proposal to regularise houses of ineligible tenements between 2000 and 2011 as per the prevailing ready reckoner rates in respective areas, too was under consideration for some time, sources added. Mumbai BJP chief and MLA Ashish Shelar hailed Fadnavis for the decision and said this is a memorable day for the Mumbaikars.
“Devendra Fadnavis had taken this decision when he was the chief minister. But later the government changed and the decision to fix the price of these houses got stalled. Today, the Shinde-Fadnavis government finalised the decision by issuing a GR in this regard. And hence, on behalf of Mumbaikars, I express happiness,” Shelar said.
Shelar also lashed out at the “dormant Uddhav Thackeray government” for failing to initiate any action in this regard. “The MVA government and Uddhavji remained insensitive towards the problems faced by Mumbaikars. Now, the common slum dwellers have got justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of ‘home to every homeless’ will now be achieved and the common man will receive his rightful home,” Shelar said.
