Mumbai: After being criticised severely for felling thousands of trees for various metro and other infrastructure projects, the Mumbai Metropolitian Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has turned people-friendly. In a one of its kind example, the Project Affected People (PAP) of Mahul village, where the Tansa Pipeline PAPs have been shifted, are complaining of poor facilities and deteriorating health condition,
The 147 families affected by the Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavli (Metro line 4) project have been provided with new homes in a building at Karve Nagar in Kanjurmarg (currently living in slums at Savitribai Phule Nagar Ghatkopar) and are being given recommendation letters by MMRDA to those seeking admissions for their children to new schools.
The basic problems of most residents evicted due to various infrastructure projects is getting admissions to new schools and colleges. An official from MMRDA said, “One of the common reasons cited by PAPs for being non-cooperative and opposed to the project is a genuine reason of their childrens’ education getting affected.
Shifting to a new place means removing the children from old institutions. Considering this factor, we have decided, along with giving them houses, to also help them get admissions in private or public schools. We will help those who approach us.”
Officials believe their recommendation will help remove any hurdle in the timely completion of the projects. Moreover, to ensure smooth functioning, MMRDA is sending bulk messages to these tenants informing them of the various procedures and filling various forms online required from them, prior to shifting.
