Finally, the wait over the redevelopment of Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls is over. Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad informed Free Press Journal, “The foundation stone laying ceremony for the redevelopment will be done by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar on July 27.”
Awhad said the proposed redevelopment project will be the major urban renewal project in southeast Asia. He added that the government would focus on its timely completion.
Awhad’s announcement came days after the CM, on June 29, directed the housing department officers that no one should become homeless while redeveloping the BDD chawls. He said care should be taken in rehabilitating each family from these chawls.
The BDD chawls started coming up in Mumbai in the 1930s. Slowly, they were converted into a housing facility for the working class. Many of these chawls, now in dilapidated condition, are located on prime plots in Mumbai.
Awhad, who had recently visited BDD chawls, had announced that the state government will sign an agreement with every tenant before shifting them to transit camps. He added that all residents, as on January 1, 2021, will be eligible for the 500 square feet housing unit.
