Mumbai’s MHADA Konkan Board is set to sell around 6,500 vacant homes under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme to the Forest Department for rehabilitating eligible encroachers from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
The Forest Department has formally conveyed its decision to purchase the vacant housing stock, following which the Konkan Board has begun the process of transferring the units. The sale is expected to generate approximately Rs 1,100 crore for MHADA, while providing housing for families to be relocated from the protected forest area.
The homes are located in Khoni and Shirdhon and had remained unsold despite being offered through the board’s housing lottery and later under a ‘first come, first served’ system.
Housing to Support Forest Encroachment Rehabilitation
Encroachment within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park has remained a longstanding issue, with the number of affected structures estimated at around 40,000. Environmental groups have raised concerns over the impact of settlements on the protected forest, while court proceedings have also addressed the need for both removal and rehabilitation.
During hearings, the High Court directed authorities to first remove unauthorised settlements and subsequently arrange rehabilitation for eligible occupants. Finding adequate alternative housing, however, has remained a major challenge.
The Forest Department has been looking for ready housing to rehabilitate encroachments existing before January 1, 1995. As part of that effort, MHADA offered the 6,500 vacant homes in Khoni-Shirdhon for consideration.
Homes Were Earlier Left Unsold
The 6,500 units, intended for the very low-income group, had struggled to attract sufficient buyers through the lottery process. With a large inventory remaining vacant, the Konkan Board faced continued financial pressure from unsold properties.
The situation changed after the Forest Department approached MHADA seeking housing for rehabilitation. The Konkan Board subsequently presented the vacant units as an option for the department.
Mill Workers’ Housing Proposal Set Aside
The homes had also been considered as a possible source of accommodation for mill workers, as the government continues to examine options for housing more than one lakh beneficiaries.
However, the proposal did not receive a positive response from mill workers’ organisations. The Konkan Board had indicated that the housing would go to whichever of the Forest Department or mill workers’ representatives formally accepted the available units first.
The Forest Department has now provided its written approval to purchase and distribute the 6,500 houses, according to senior board officials.
MHADA to Gain Revenue, Forest Department Gets Housing Stock
The proposed transaction could address two separate challenges: reducing MHADA’s inventory of vacant homes and creating a ready pool of housing for the rehabilitation programme linked to SGNP.
The Konkan Board is expected to receive around Rs 1,100 crore from the sale, while the Forest Department will gain access to completed housing that can be used for relocation.
However, shifting these homes towards forest rehabilitation means alternative accommodation solutions will now be required for the mill workers’ housing programme.
For the Forest Department, the availability of ready-built homes could help move forward the difficult task of relocating eligible families from the national park. For MHADA, the sale provides a way to monetise a substantial inventory of homes that had remained vacant.
The next stage will involve completing the administrative and transfer procedures between the Konkan Board and the Forest Department before the houses can be allotted to eligible beneficiaries.
Source: Loksatta
