The Maharashtra government has decided to assign nearly 200 stalled slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai to multiple public agencies in an effort to revive delayed redevelopment schemes and accelerate housing for slum residents.
According to officials, the responsibility for implementing these projects will be given to agencies including Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), Mahapreet and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
The stalled schemes are estimated to cover between 100 and 150 acres of land across different parts of the city. Officials said the decision aims to speed up redevelopment work and address delays that have affected several housing projects for years.
A study is currently being conducted by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to determine how the projects will be distributed among the government agencies. After the assessment, the state government will decide which group of projects will be handled by each agency.
Slum rehabilitation schemes are being implemented through the SRA as part of the broader goal of making Mumbai slum-free. However, officials say more than 10 lakh slum residents are still awaiting rehabilitation. At present, over 200 projects remain stalled due to various administrative, financial and legal challenges.
Several years ago, the state government had already assigned stalled projects to agencies such as MHADA, MMRDA, MSRDC, CIDCO, Mahapreet, MIDC and the BMC. These agencies were tasked with reviving around 233 projects covering approximately 2.13 lakh slum units.
So far, MMRDA has taken up the redevelopment of the Mata Ramabai Nagar–Kamaraj Nagar slum project and work has begun at the site. However, progress on many other projects has been slow.
A senior official from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority said the government has now decided to reassign the responsibility of implementing slum rehabilitation schemes to these agencies to ensure faster execution.
Under the plan, cluster-based redevelopment will be carried out on slum land parcels of 50 acres or more. At least 51 percent of the land must be occupied by slums for the project to qualify. The redevelopment will include both private and government buildings located within these areas.
Officials believe the cluster redevelopment approach could help speed up housing delivery and support the state’s long-term objective of addressing slum housing in Mumbai.
Source: Loksatta
