The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) will independently undertake the cluster redevelopment of Pratiksha Nagar in Sion, choosing an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model instead of appointing a private developer.
Spread across nearly 25 hectares, Pratiksha Nagar has 216 buildings containing around 10,000 residential units. Under the EPC arrangement, MHADA will retain control of the project and appoint a contractor to execute construction for an agreed fee.
The decision represents a shift from the Construction & Development Agency (C&DA) model used for several major MHADA redevelopment schemes. Under the C&DA system, private developers typically finance and execute projects, while a portion of the completed housing is handed over to MHADA for affordable housing programmes and the remaining units are developed commercially.
Projects such as Motilal Nagar, Abhyudaya Nagar, Bandra Reclamation, Adarsh Nagar in Worli and GTB Nagar have previously been taken up through the C&DA route.
By developing Pratiksha Nagar directly, MHADA intends to retain the additional housing generated through redevelopment, which can subsequently be used for affordable housing sales and lottery schemes. Of the 216 buildings, around 90 have historically served as transit accommodation, while the rest comprise homes allotted through various MHADA lottery exercises.
The first stage of the redevelopment is expected to prioritise dilapidated and unsafe structures, particularly older transit buildings. Approximately 5,508 residents currently occupy these transit camps.
The authority is also examining arrangements for families residing in the camps without recognised eligibility. According to a senior MHADA official, families classified as encroachers would also receive transit accommodation while their cases remain under judicial consideration.
“In the next few days, a proposal on the EPC model will be sent to the state housing department for approval,” the official added.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in March that MHADA would undertake Pratiksha Nagar’s redevelopment under the cluster model. The authority believes a unified redevelopment approach can enable better planning of common amenities and infrastructure than building-by-building redevelopment.
The plan excludes structures constructed around 15 years ago, as these are considered habitable. The project schedule remains undecided, with administrative clearances and the contractor selection process still pending.
Source: Hindustan Times
