The state, in a bid to give a much needed push for the completion of long pending 1,200 slum rehabilitation projects in Greater Mumbai, has proposed a slew of initiatives. Some of these projects will be tendered out by the state-run Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (Mhada) and Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp Ltd (SPPL).
In some cases where tenants are not eligible under the slum rehabilitation scheme, they will be covered under the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana. Such tenants will be provided 300 sq ft of home at cost. The developer can to do it after loading free component. This apart, the government will put in place a strict eligibility and financial criteria for builders and developers to complete slum rehabilitation projects in a time bound manner and they do not languish for long.
The government will also set quality norms that will have to be followed by builders for the dwellings to be offered free under slum rehabilitation scheme.
Sanjay Kumar, additional chief secretary of state housing department told DNA, "These 1,200 slum rehabilitation projects are stuck up not just due to paucity of funds. In some cases builders have undertaken such projects without any wherewithal while few others are delayed due to lack of demand for tenements constructed under sale component due to slow down.''
Anuj Puri, chairman of Anarock Projects Consultants said, ''Mumbai can easily replicate the success story of Singapore's Housing and Development Board which remained laser-focused on eradicating slums. With effective PPP models, higher incentives to the stakeholders and good financial structuring, the slums in Mumbai can be eradicated faster than envisaged.''
However, to accomplish this task, Puri said that the government must involve itself at every level of the redevelopment plan.
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